[00:00:01]
FOR OUR REGULAR MEETING.ALL RIGHT, THE TIME IS NOW 6:33 AND I CALL THE JUNE 23RD REGULAR MEETING OF THE EANS ISD BOARD OF
[2.
ESTABLISH A QUORUM
]TRUSTEES TO ORDER.MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? YES, WE DO.
MY NAME IS CATHERINE WALKER, PRESIDENT OF THE EANS ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION, WELCOME TO EVERYONE WHO IS WITH US TONIGHT AND TO THOSE WHO MAY BE LISTENING FROM HOME.
THE PURPOSE OF OUR MEETING IS FOR THE BOARD TO DELIBERATE AND VOTE ON MATTERS LISTED ON THE AGENDA.
AS ALWAYS, WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING A RESPECTFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT AND EXPECT THE SAME COURTESY IN RETURN.
PLEASE REFRAIN FROM OUTBURSTS OR DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS.
APPLAUSE IS ALWAYS WELCOME FOR THOSE BEING RECOGNIZED DURING THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
DURING EVERY MEETING, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, THOUGH THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TONIGHT.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE MEETING TO LISTEN TO BUSINESS OF THE BOARD.
IF YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE EARLY, PLEASE DO SO QUIETLY AND TAKE YOUR CONVERSATIONS OUTSIDE.
AS ALWAYS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK ON ITEMS DISCUSSED TONIGHT, FEEL FREE TO SEND AN EMAIL TO THE TRUSTEES AT TRUSTEES AT EANSISD.NET.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE TONIGHT AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED INTEREST IN SUPPORTING OUR DISTRICT.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO BEGIN OUR AGENDA WITH THE EANSISD MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH I WILL READ.
UNITE, EMPOWER, INSPIRE EVERY PERSON EVERY DAY.
WE UNITE OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS, CREATING A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR ALL.
WE EMPOWER STUDENTS, PROVIDING EXEMPLARY EDUCATION THAT DEVELOPS CURIOSITY, CREATIVITY, AND INDIVIDUAL TALENTS.
WE INSPIRE EACH OTHER TO LEAD PURPOSEFUL LIVES OF EMPATHY, GRATITUDE, AND COMPASSION.
THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
TYPICALLY, WE DO HAVE A GUEST STUDENT WITH US TO LEAD US THROUGH THAT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TONIGHT.
SO I'LL ASK YOU TO ALL RISE AS WE RECITE THE PLEDGE.
[5.
SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT
]TO OUR SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, AND I WILL PASS THE FLOOR TO MR. KONECKI.WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE ANOTHER NEW TEAM MEMBER TONIGHT.
MS. REGAN COSTABILE HAS BEEN SELECTED AS OUR NEW ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT CEDAR CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE'RE EXCITED TO WELCOME REGAN AS WE START OUR NEW SCHOOL YEAR.
SHE WENT THROUGH A SERIOUS VETTING PROCESS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND HAS HELPED US ROUND OUT OUR PRINCIPAL TEAM FOR 26-27.
SO MS. COSTABILE BRINGS A STRONG BACKGROUND IN ELEMENTARY AND EDUCATION AND INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP.
SHE SERVED AS A FIFTH GRADE TEACHER AND A TEAM LEAD AT RODRIGUEZ ELEMENTARY IN SAN MARCOS CISD AND PREVIOUSLY AS A FOURTH GRADE TEACHER AT ACTON ELEMENTARY IN GRANBURY ISD.
MOST RECENTLY SHE SERVED AS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT GOODNIGHT MIDDLE SCHOOL IN SAN MARCOS.
THROUGHOUT HER CAREER MS. COSTABILE HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS, DEVELOPING TEACHERS, AND BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FAMILIES.
SO PLEASE JOIN US IN WELCOMING REAGAN.
AND ALSO, I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THIS AT THE AGENDA, BUT I WANT TO JUST WELCOME OUR KEY PARTNERS FROM THE FOUNDATION WHO ARE HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
IT'S SO NICE TO SEE THEM ALL HERE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR EANS.
ALL RIGHT, TYPICALLY WE DO HAVE AN OPEN FORUM PORTION OF OUR MEETING, BUT AS NO ONE IS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM.
[7.1. Request to accept the EEF Donation]
AND THIS ITEM IS 7.1, A REQUEST TO ACCEPT THE EANES EDUCATION FOUNDATION ANNUAL DONATION.MAY I HAVE A MOTION? MOTION BY KELLY.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND BY DIANE.
IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY DISCUSSION? KELLY? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IS THERE A PRESENTATION? WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF OUR SCHOOLS AND THE STRENGTH OF OUR COMMUNITY, IT'S OFTEN WHAT'S BEHIND THEM THAT I THINK OF THE MOST.
IT'S THE TEACHERS, IT'S THE ADMINISTRATORS, IT'S THE COACHES, THE COMMUNITY
[00:05:01]
VOLUNTEERS, AND OF COURSE IT'S THE PARENTS.AND THAT WHOLE EQUATION IS WHAT MAKES EANS SO GREAT, AND IT'S ALSO WHAT BRINGS THE STRENGTH TO OUR FOUNDATION.
SO I WANT TO START BY SAYING THAT.
I JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING THANK YOU.
THANK YOU TO OUR ENDOWMENT BOARD.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS, OF COURSE ALL THE FAMILY DONORS.
EVERYONE IS A PART OF THIS PUZZLE, AND TOGETHER WE MAKE A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PIE.
OUR YEAR, SO TONIGHT WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE THE STRENGTH OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE STRENGTH OF OUR FOUNDATION WHEN WE PRESENT A CHECK IN THE FORM OF $2.12 MILLION.
DOLLARS THAT IS $2 MILLION GIFT TO THE DISTRICT AND IT'S A $120,000 GIFT TO TEACHERS THAT WERE PAID OUT IN TEACHER BONUSES IN MAY.
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THIS EFFORT.
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I'M JUST GOING TO SHOWCASE A FEW THINGS TONIGHT BEFORE WE GET ON TO HOLDING UP THAT CHECK AND LETTING EVERYONE FEEL A PART OF THE SUCCESS OF THE YEAR.
SO WE DO HAVE CORPORATE GIVING PARTNERS WHERE WE RAISE OVER A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS IN OUR CORPORATE GIVING SOCIETY.
WE HAVE OUR TEACHER FUND, OUR BIG FUNDRAISER IN THE FALL WHERE WE RAISED OVER A MILLION DOLLARS FOR OUR TEACHERS WITH OVER 01,600 OF OUR FAMILIES DONATING.
IT'S ALMOST 40% OF OUR FAMILIES.
WE BROUGHT OUT SOME NEW EVENTS.
WE HAD OUR SENIOR SEND-OFF AND KINDER KICK-OFF, WHICH IS COMING UP ON AUGUST 9TH, SATURDAY, AUGUST 9TH AT THE FIELD JUST BEFORE SHAPFEST.
WE ALSO HELD OUR FIRST EVER EANS LEGENDS LUNCHEON, WHICH WILL BE OCTOBER 15TH THIS YEAR.
AT AUSTIN COUNTRY CLUB, A THURSDAY, HOMECOMING WEEK, WE LOOK FORWARD TO GROWING THAT EVENT, WHICH IS SQUARELY FOCUSED ON CELEBRATING THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF EANS ISD.
WE HAD OUR GALA, OUR KALEIDOSCOPE GALA, WHERE WE CELEBRATED ALL THE DIFFERENT SHAPES AND COLORS OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HOW THEY COME TOGETHER TO MAKE A BEAUTIFUL MOSAIC.
IT WAS AN EXCELLENT FUNDRAISER AND A REALLY BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION OF WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR MISSION IS SQUARELY FOCUSED ON FUNDING TEACHERS NOT FULLY FUNDED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THAT IS WHAT OUR FOUNDATION DOES, WE FUND TEACHERS AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR WE WERE GLAD TO BE ABLE TO HAVE EXCESS FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO GIVE A TEACHER BONUS AND WE DID TO ALL EDUCATORS FULL AND PART-TIME IN THE DISTRICT.
WE ARE SO VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE US IN THE COMMUNITY, GIVING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE, MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN.
YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO SEE US TALKING MORE ABOUT OUR ENDOWMENT THAT HAS EXISTED AND THAT NOW SITS JUST UNDER $2 MILLION.
THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT SHARING WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AS THAT ENDOWMENT GROWS, THE STRENGTH OF OUR FOUNDATION GROWS.
OUR ENDOWMENT IS GOING TO BE AN INCREDIBLE TOOL TO FUEL OUR GROWTH IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
WE ARE SO HONORED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
A VERY BIG GROUP OF PEOPLE WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND ARE VERY HAPPY TO DO SO AND TONIGHT WE CELEBRATE THAT.
WE'D LIKE TO INVITE THE TRUSTEES AND OUR BOARD MEMBERS TO TAKE A PHOTO TO SHARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND GIVE US ANOTHER CHANCE TO CELEBRATE.
SO WITH THAT I CLOSE MY PRESENTATION.
I JUST LIKE TO SAY I KNOW WE PROBABLY HAVE SOME TRUSTEES WHO WANT TO SAY SOME THINGS ALSO GRETCHEN I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE I KNOW HOW MUCH TIME AND ENERGY YOU PUT INTO THIS THE LEADERSHIP OF THE FOUNDATION AND ITS BOARD AND YOUR INTENT AND MISSION IS SO HONORABLE ADMIRABLE AND EVERY TIME THAT I HEAR YOU TALK PUBLICLY I HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT THIS MOSAIC OF THIS PUZZLE AND THIS AMAZING SCHOOL COMMUNITY AND YOU'RE SUCH A CHAMPION OF THIS DISTRICT AND ALL THE PEOPLE, ALMOST 40% AS YOU SAID, OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY GIVING TO THE FOUNDATION.
THERE IS NO PUBLIC PARTNER THAT'S A KEY PARTNER TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT ANYWHERE LIKE THIS.
WHEN I WITNESSED YOUR GALA THIS YEAR, IT WAS REINFORCED TO ME HOW AMAZINGLY UNIQUE THIS PUBLIC SCHOOL COMMUNITY IS.
AND WE CAN SAY IT AND WE CAN SAY IT HUMBLY AND YOU DO THAT ALL THE TIME.
AND TONIGHT IS A NIGHT TO BE IMPRESSED.
ALL RIGHT, I THINK JOHN WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING.
SO THIS PAST YEAR I HAD THE HONOR OF SERVING AS THE BOARD'S EX-OFFICIO MEMBER WITH THE EEF AND SO I GOT TO GO TO ALL THE MEETINGS AND WITNESS HOW INCREDIBLE THIS GROUP IS FIRSTHAND AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AS
[00:10:01]
WELL.I SAW SO MANY FOLKS BOTH ON THE BOARD COME TOGETHER THAT EVERY CAMPUS HAS THEIR OWN VOLUNTEERS WITH TEACHER FUND AND EVERYBODY VOLUNTEERING WITH WITH GALA.
YOU WILL NOT FIND A MORE IMPRESSIVE BUNCH AND YOU WILL NOT FIND A GROUP THAT CARES MORE ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS THAN EEF AND EVERYBODY WHO WAS A PART OF IT.
THIS IS A CHALLENGING TIME AND YOU RAISED TWO MILLION DOLLARS IN THE MIDST OF THAT.
LIKE I KNOW WE SLOT TWO MILLION IN BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST AND WE KIND OF PLAN TOWARDS THAT BUT THAT IS NOT A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
Y'ALL WORK HARD AND WE SEE THAT DAY IN AND DAY OUT SO I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.
GRETCHEN, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU TOO UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP.
I WAS LOVING THE KPIS THAT YOU WERE BRINGING INTO THESE MEETINGS, AND I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF YOUR JAM, AND I LOVED SEEING THAT.
I THINK IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE TO LOOK AT THE DATA.
SO A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU TOO PERSONALLY, AND TO EVERYONE.
THANK YOU, AND JUST GEARING UP FOR ANOTHER GOOD YEAR, BECAUSE I KNOW THE WORK IS ALREADY UNDERWAY FOR NEXT YEAR, AND YOU'RE ALL EXCITED FOR THAT.
AND WITH CHANDLER NOW LEADING IT AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT YEAR.
SO VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
WE DO FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT THE FUTURE WE ARE ENERGIZED DON'T FEEL VERY SOLID AT ALL STANDING WITH THEM AND THAT THE RIGHT METRICS ARE IN PLACE TO US FOR US TO OPERATE EFFICIENTLY AND BE ABLE TO BE THE STEWARDS TO THE DISTRICT THAT IT'S MEANT TO BE ALL RIGHT, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM JENNIFER AND THEN FROM DIANE THE RISK OF BEING REDUNDANT, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, FIRST OF ALL, TO GRETCHEN.
IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO, PRIOR TO THIS CURRENT ROLE, TO BE A TEACHER.
FUND WAS A CO-CHAIR FOR BRIDGEPOINT, AND I FELT VERY STRONGLY THAT I WAS COMPETING SPECIFICALLY AGAINST YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE CO-CHAIRING EANES ELEMENTARY AT THAT TIME, BUT IT WAS JUST SUCH A GREAT RUN.
WITH YOUR ENERGY, YOUR LEADERSHIP, BOTH ON THE BOARD OF EF AND THEN ALSO IN THAT ARENA AS WELL, WHICH IS JUST SUPER EXCITING AND ENERGIZING.
I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO KATIE DEDIMORE, WHO HAS JUST LED WITH SO MUCH POISE AND GRACE UNDER THE MOST UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THE LAST SIX TO 12 MONTHS.
SO I DON'T THINK SHE GETS NEARLY THE RECOGNITION THAT SHE DESERVES FOR ALL THAT SHE'S CARRYING AND HAS DONE.
EF TRULY IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE WESTLAKE COMMUNITY AND IT IS THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER ONE BEST WAY TO GET INVOLVED REGARDLESS OF YOUR ROLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
WHETHER YOU'RE A PARENT, A BUSINESS OWNER, A PROPERTY OWNER, OR JUST CRUISING THROUGH, I THINK THERE'S ABSOLUTELY A ROLE FOR ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY TO GET INVOLVED WITH EF.
SO I KNOW THAT THE BOARD IS GOING TO BE IN GREAT HANDS WITH CHANDLER AT THE HELM AND SEEING OTHER FACES IN THE ROOM TOO THAT ARE STILL VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED.
BUT, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS, AND I'M EXCITED TO SUPPORT YOU IN THIS CAPACITY.
AT THE RISK OF ALSO BEING REDUNDANT, I'LL TRY TO JUST ADD A FEW OTHER THINGS.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
IT'S BEEN CLEAR FROM THE FEW TIMES THAT WE'VE TALKED, GRETCHEN, THAT YOU'RE AN INCREDIBLE LEADER.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW LEADERSHIP AS WELL.
AND THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE TEAM.
I LOVE, I JUST WANT TO ADD, I LOVE THIS.
REALLY PURPOSEFUL LOOK AT THE ENDOWMENT AND FOCUS ON THE ENDOWMENT.
AND WE HAVEN'T MENTIONED THAT, I BELIEVE, IN YOUR NEXT STEPS, YOU ARE NOW IN CHARGE OF THE ENDOWMENT.
SO I FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THIS REALLY BIG EMPHASIS ON ALUMNI THAT I'M APPRECIATING.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE WHOLE TEAM AND FOR THIS INCREDIBLE GIFT.
ANY OTHER FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, AND JUST ONE POINT OF CLARITY WHEN WE MADE THE MOTION AND WE SECONDED, WE DID NOT READ THE ACTION ITEM, SO I'M GOING TO TAKE A MOMENT TO DO THAT, AND THEN WE'LL VOTE.
THE RECOMMENDED ACTION IS THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ACCEPT EANS EDUCATION FOUNDATION DONATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $2 MILLION.
ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT, SINCE I'VE READ IT, AND THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY NAYS? ALL RIGHT, THE MOTION CARRIES 7-0.
[8.1. 2026-27 Preliminary Enrollment report]
[00:17:27]
ALL RIGHT, SO WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR REPORTS BY ADMINISTRATION AND WE HAVE ITEM 8.1, THE 2026-27 PRELIMINARY ENROLLMENT PRESENTED BY MS. MOLLY MAY.GET STARTED ON PRELIMINARY ENROLLMENT FIRST.
OKAY, SO JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT THIS DATA IS BASED ON YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND IT CHANGES MOMENT BY MOMENT.
SO IT WILL CONTINUE TO CHANGE OVER THE SUMMER, BUT THIS IS OUR SNAPSHOT AS OF TODAY.
THE NUMBERS WE'RE LOOKING AT, JUST SO YOU HAVE AN IDEA, SO THIS IS ANY NEW STUDENT ONLINE ENROLLMENTS OR NSOE ARE APPROVED SIV. SO PARENTS FILL OUT SIV IF THEY'RE RETURNING.
AND THEN WE HAVE A SMALL PERCENTAGE IN OUR NUMBERS OF NON-VETTED NSOE AND THAT JUST MEANS THAT THEY HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS BUT IT'S MOST LIKELY A TRANSFER STUDENT WHO WE'VE OFFERED A SEAT TO OR A NEW RESIDENT AND SOMEBODY'S KIND OF LOOKED TO CHECK THEIR ADDRESS.
JUST TO REMIND Y'ALL THAT IN THE BUDGET CALCULATIONS WE BUDGETED ENROLLMENT AT 7428 SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO MEET.
AND JUST A REMINDER THAT WE TEND TO GET AROUND 100 TO 150 ENROLLMENTS OVER THE SUMMER, SO KIND OF CONSIDER THAT IN MY PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
SO LOOKING AT OUR PRELIMINARY ENROLLMENT, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
AND SO OUR NUMBER AT THIS POINT IS 7340, AND AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT 7428 AS OUR BENCHMARK.
I WANTED TO SHOW JUST A LITTLE BIT OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN IN THE PAST.
IF YOU LOOK AT 24-25, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE JUNE PROJECTED, WHICH IS THE BLACK NUMBER AT THE VERY BOTTOM, ISN'T THAT FAR OFF FROM THE TOTAL, WHICH IS OUR OCTOBER SNAPSHOT.
THAT YEAR, WE WERE INCLUDING A LOT MORE STUDENTS THAT HADN'T BEEN VETTED.
LAST YEAR, WE REALLY STREAMLINED OUR PROCESS, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE WENT FROM 72-95.
AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR AT THIS PRESENTATION ALL THE WAY UP TO 7537 SO THAT'S A MUCH BIGGER JUMP THAN WE HAD HAD IN THE PAST OF SUMMER ENROLLMENT SO THE HUNDRED TO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THAT I GAVE YOU IS KIND OF A PROJECTION BUT AGAIN WE AS A TEAM LOOKING AT ENROLLMENT FEEL VERY
[00:20:01]
CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE GOING TO MEET OUR 7428 ENROLLMENT AND HOPEFULLY EXCEED THAT THAT'S OBVIOUSLY OUR GOAL IS TO ALWAYS EXCEED THAT YOU CAN SEE OBVIOUSLY EACH CAMPUS AND KIND OF WHERE THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY.SO WE JUST PROVIDE THAT FOR SOME CONTEXT.
HERE IS YOUR ELEMENTARY BREAKOUT BY SECTION AND BY GRADE LEVEL.
YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHERE WE ARE ON EACH CAMPUS.
THE ONLY AREA RIGHT NOW THAT IS OVER IS FIRST GRADE AT BRIDGEPOINT AND WE'RE JUST OVER BY ONE STUDENT SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT.
IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO ADD A WHOLE OTHER SECTION THERE, THOSE NUMBERS WOULD GO VERY LOW IF WE ENDED UP HAVING TO ADD ANOTHER SECTION.
WE DON'T HAVE A TON OF TRANSFERS THAT REQUEST BRIDGEPOINT JUST BECAUSE OF WHERE IT'S LOCATED AND THEN THE FUN CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
SO IT WOULD BE A LITTLE HARD TO HAVE A FULL SECTION, BUT WE'LL OBVIOUSLY MONITOR THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT IF THOSE NUMBERS GROW THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING THAT IN OUR STAFFING.
BUT YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHERE WE ARE AT THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS AND WHERE WE HAVE SOME GROWTH AND THEN WHERE WE'RE KIND OF STABLE AND WHEN IT REALLY WANTS TO ADD MORE STUDENTS TO THOSE SECTIONS.
OUR 6 THROUGH 8 AND ATS, YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS THERE.
THERE'S ALSO SOME HISTORICAL CONTEXT FOR WHERE WE ARE.
SO HILL COUNTRY IS ACTUALLY PRETTY STABLE REALLY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
WESTRIDGE DEFINITELY GOING DOWN A LITTLE BIT THE WESTLAKE AGAIN DOWN SOMEWHAT THEY'LL STILL GET SOME BUMP THIS SUMMER WE DO TEND TO GET MORE STUDENTS THAT ENROLL IN THE HIGH SCHOOL OVER THE SUMMER AND THEN ATS IS FAIRLY STABLE THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF AN ENROLLMENT TIMELINE KIND OF WHAT THE YEARS LOOKED LIKE IN MARCH WE OPENED NSOE AND SIV FOR OUR NEW AND RETURNING RESIDENT FAMILIES, OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE BRINGING IN NEW STUDENTS, AND THEN OUR CURRENT TRANSFER FAMILIES.
THIS YEAR WE DID SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT WITH OUR CURRENT TRANSFER FAMILIES.
IF WE BASICALLY, IF THEY'RE A TRANSFER STUDENT AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS WITH THEIR APPLICATION OR THEIR ELIGIBILITY, THEN THOSE STUDENTS JUST ROLLED INTO THE ACCOUNT AND THE PARENTS DID SIV FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
FEE AND THAT WILL BE ASSESSED IN THE IN THE FALL THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FOR US WE HAVE TYPICALLY HAD AN APPLICATION FEE THAT ANYONE WHO APPLIES TO BE A TRANSFER WOULD PAY AND NOW WE'RE ONLY ASSESSING A FEE ONCE THE STUDENT ACTUALLY ENROLLS AND ATTENDS AND WE DID SOME MATH CALCULATION THAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT IS ACTUALLY HIGHER FOR ONCE YOU ENROLLED AND IT ACTUALLY WAS FINANCIALLY MORE BENEFICIAL FOR US TO CHARGE A HIGHER FEE ONCE YOU'VE ENROLLED THAN TO CHARGE A LOWER FEE FOR EVERYBODY WHO WAS JUST FILLING OUT AN APPLICATION.
AND WE ALSO FELT THAT KNOWING SOMETIMES WE JUST CAN'T SEAT STUDENTS BECAUSE OF LIKE AT A CERTAIN GRADE OR CERTAIN SCHOOL, WE DIDN'T WANT TO ASK PARENTS TO PAY AN APPLICATION FEE IF, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS LIMITED CHANCE THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO BE SEATED.
AND THEN WE ALSO OPENED THAT OUT OF DISTRICT TRANSFER APPLICATION IN MARCH.
IN APRIL WE BEGAN THE APPLICATION REVIEW.
THIS YEAR, CLAUDIA AND I HIT SOME PRESCHOOL INFORMATIONAL NIGHTS AND TRIED TO JUST REMIND EVERYBODY ABOUT COMING TO KINDERGARTEN AND GET THOSE STUDENTS SIGNED UP, ESPECIALLY FOR FIRST TIME PARENTS WHO DON'T THINK IN MARCH YOU NEED TO SIGN YOUR KINDERGARTNER UP FOR SCHOOL IN AUGUST.
WE HAD OUR KINDER PLAY DATE AND THEN WE STARTED NOTIFYING OUR EMPLOYEES WHERE THEIR STUDENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO GO FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
IN MAY, WE STARTED OUR FIRST GRADE THROUGH 12TH GRADE NOTIFICATIONS.
WE CONTINUED THAT IN JUNE, AND THEN WE ALSO DID KINDER NOTIFICATIONS.
KINDER'S ALWAYS THE ONE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT TRICKY.
WE'RE WATCHING THAT REALLY CLOSELY, SO WE WERE A LITTLE BIT LATER IN LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW WHEN WE WOULD LET KINDERS IN.
THE OUT OF DISTRICT APPLICATION THIS YEAR IN JUNE.
WE HAD TALKED ABOUT HAVING ROLLING ADMISSIONS ALL SUMMER LONG AND WHERE WE KIND OF HIT A LITTLE BIT OF A BUMP THIS YEAR IS WHEN THEY'RE CONTINUING TO COME IN AND COME IN, WE HAVE A TIME PERIOD WHERE WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY REVIEWING APPLICATIONS BECAUSE STAFF ARE GONE OVER THE SUMMER.
AND SO THERE'S A BIG BACKUP AND WE'RE ALSO KNOWING THAT WE CAN'T, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THEIR SCHOOLS OR GRADE LEVELS WHERE WE CAN'T ACCEPT STUDENTS.
SO IT JUST BECOMES REALLY CUMBERSOME TO KIND OF MANAGE THAT PROCESS.
AND SO I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING
[00:25:02]
TO DO GOING FORWARD IN TERMS OF THAT APPLICATION.WE ALSO THIS YEAR ARE DOING SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAT WE WILL PUT INTO THE PROCESS GOING FORWARD SHOULD WE DECIDE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE TRANSFERS IN THE FUTURE, WHICH IS A KINDER READINESS SURVEY.
ARE PUTTING IN A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION ABOUT THEIR CHILD MAYBE BECAUSE THEY'RE IN PRESCHOOL OR DAY OR A DAYCARE AND THEN OTHER FAMILIES WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THOSE KINDERGARTNERS SO THIS YEAR WE ACTUALLY HAVE A GROUP OF KINDERS THAT WE'RE SENDING OUT THIS SURVEY JUST SO WE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE INCOMING KINDERS AND THEIR SKILL LEVEL AND THEN IN JULY WE'RE GOING TO SEAT SOME OF THOSE KINDERS BASED ON THE SURVEY AND THEN THERE WILL BE A DISCUSSION AROUND REOPENING THE OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSFER APPLICATION AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
SO BASED ON WHERE WE ARE THIS YEAR AND LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR DATA, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM MY TEAM IS THAT WE GO AHEAD AND REOPEN THAT APPLICATION FOR TARGETED SCHOOLS AND GRADE LEVELS IN JULY AFTER WE HAVE BASICALLY LOOKED AT AND ASSESSED ALL THE CURRENT APPLICATIONS AND WE'VE PROCESSED THEM.
SO WE WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW WHERE THEY STAND.
EITHER THEY GOT A SEAT OR THEY DIDN'T GET A SEAT AND THEN WHEN WE GO BACK AND LOOK AT SPECIFIC GRADE LEVELS OR SPECIFIC SCHOOLS.
I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW WE NEED KINDERGARTNERS KIND OF EVERYWHERE, SO WE WOULD HAVE SOME COMMUNICATION OUT THERE THAT WE NEED THAT WE NEED KINDERGARTNERS.
WE ARE FULL PRETTY MUCH IN FOURTH GRADE, SO WE WOULD SAY THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING ANY FOURTH GRADERS, WHICH IS HARD BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE A KINDERGARTNER AND A FOURTH GRADER, IT'S HARD TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO.
BUT WE WANT TO BE REALLY TARGETED WHEN WE REOPEN.
SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR STUDENTS AND IF THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO GET IN BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE YOU KNOW APPLYING LIKE RIGHT NOW OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS ARE PRETTY FULL THE HIGH SCHOOL HAS TAKEN A LOT OF TRANSFERS BECAUSE WE DID LOOK AT STAFF ATTRITION AND WE DIDN'T REHIRE A LOT OF THOSE POSITIONS WE CAN'T TAKE AS MANY TRANSFERS AS WE HAD IN THE PAST AND SO YOU KNOW TRYING TO BALANCE THAT SO WE'LL IF IT'S DECIDED AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THAT THE CABINET WOULD DECIDE OR THE ADMINISTRATION TO GO AHEAD AND REOPEN THAT ENROLLMENT, THE OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSFER APPLICATION, THEN THEY COULD JUST BE REALLY TARGETED WITH THAT AND WORK ON COMMUNICATION, AND CLAUDIA AND HER DEPARTMENT CAN HELP WITH THAT.
BUT THAT WOULD BE OUR RECOMMENDATION TO GO AHEAD AND JUST TRY TO CONTINUE TO FILL THOSE SEATS THAT WE HAVE WITHOUT OPENING ANY NEW SECTIONS.
AND THEN, AGAIN, I'VE MENTIONED CLAUDIA A COUPLE TIMES, AND SO THESE ARE A COUPLE SLIDES THAT SHE'S PUT TOGETHER JUST AROUND OUR TRANSFER ADVERTISING.
AND WHAT WE'VE DONE AND HOW THAT HAS LOOKED, YOU CAN SEE ON THERE THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY ADS, BOTH THE IMPRESSIONS AND THE REACH AND HOW SHE'S MARKETED THAT WITH HER TEAM.
AND THEN ALSO, AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE METRICS FOR REACH AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF THE OPEN RATE WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE ADS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND WHERE WE'VE PLACED THEM.
SHE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU GUYS HAVE THOSE GOING FORWARD.
I MENTIONED WHEN I SENT THIS PRESENTATION, THIS IS A VERY, VERY HIGH OVERVIEW TONIGHT.
IN AUGUST, YOU'LL GET A MUCH DEEPER DIVE, AND THEN IN NOVEMBER, IT'LL BE EVEN DEEPER.
RIGHT NOW, IT'S HARD TO GIVE YOU A LOT OF MORE CONCRETE DATA BECAUSE, LIKE I SAID, IT'S CHANGING EVERY DAY.
WE OFFERED SOME SEATS YESTERDAY, AND WE GIVE PEOPLE.
ABOUT A WEEK TO A WEEK AND A HALF TO ACCEPT THEIR SEAT SO SO GIVING YOU ANY TYPE OF PERCENTAGES YOU KNOW WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT RIGHT SO IT DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE TO DO THAT BUT I THINK THE TAKEAWAY I WOULD HOPE YOU HAVE FOR THIS EVENING IS THAT UM WE DO FEEL CONFIDENT BASED ON PAST TRENDS THAT WE WILL REACH THE BUDGETED NUMBER OF FOR ENROLLMENT AND QUESTIONS THANK YOU MOLLY DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS JOHN AND THEN JAMES.
MOLLY IS THIS YOUR LAST MEETING? IT IS MY LAST MEETING.
WELL ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE BECAUSE HOW MANY YEARS HAS IT BEEN? 26.
AND GOING OUT STRONG WITH THE ENROLLMENT REPORT AT YOUR LAST MEETING.
I HAVE ANOTHER ONE AFTER THIS SO.
THAT'LL BE ASSESSED IN THE FALL FOR TRANSFERS.
DO YOU HAVE A BALLPARK ROUGHLY HOW MUCH THAT IS? IT'S $250 PER STUDENT.
AND THE APPLICATION FEE BEFORE LAST YEAR WAS? I BELIEVE IT WAS LIKE $75, I THINK, WAS THE APPLICATION FEE.
AND THEN WE'RE REOPENING IN JULY.
[00:30:01]
IF YOU GO ON THE WEBSITE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU WERE A PROSPECTIVE FAMILY THAT WANTED TO TRANSFER IN, IF YOU HIT THAT.SITE NOW DOES IT SAY IT'S TEMPORARILY CLOSED AND OPENING UP AGAIN IN JULY OR WHAT IT'S RIGHT NOW IT JUST SAYS IT'S CLOSED BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T DECIDED FOR SURE THAT WE'RE REOPENING AND AT WHAT GRADE LEVELS OR WHAT SCHOOLS OKAY SO YEAH I DO THINK WHENEVER YOU DO DECIDE EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT READY TO OPEN IT YET AS SOON AS YOU DECIDE FOR SURE JUST PUTTING IT ON HEY IT'S COMING BECAUSE I KNOW FAMILIES ARE LIKELY LOOKING SURE WHEN THEY HIT THERE SO THAT'S GREAT UM AND THEN IT DID LOOK LIKE SOME OF OUR ELEMENTARIES ARE ACTUALLY PRETTY STABLE.
I THINK IT WAS EANES AND CEDAR CREEK HADN'T REALLY DECLINED.
IT WAS ENFORCED TRAIL SITTING PRETTY STRONG TOO.
IT WAS MORE BRIDGEPOINT AND BARTON CREEK, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT HAD GONE DOWN.
IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, BARTON CREEK'S A LITTLE, YES.
BARTON CREEK DEFINITELY DOWN FROM LAST YEAR, BUT WE KNEW THAT BECAUSE WE WERE ROLLING OUT THAT REALLY LARGE GROUP.
UM YEAH BRIDGE POINT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALLER TOO THE FOREST TRAIL SLIGHTLY SMALLER YEAH BUT SIMILAR YEAH OKAY SO AND ANY HAVE WE HEARD ANY ANECDOTAL DATA AS TO I MEAN OBVIOUSLY ENROLLMENTS DECLINING ACROSS THE STATE ACROSS THE COUNTRY SO I KNOW THERE ARE MACRO TRENDS AT PLAY HAVE WE HEARD ANY OTHER DATA RELATED TO ENROLLMENT SPECIFICALLY AROUND ANY OF THESE DECLINES NOT SPECIFICALLY.
I MEAN BACK IN MARCH WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE DATA I MEAN OUR PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS RETURNING IS STILL REALLY HIGH.
I THINK MAYBE AROUND 95 TO 97 PERCENT SO THAT FEELS REALLY GOOD THAT OUR KIDS ARE COMING BACK TO US.
I THINK SOME OF OUR WE HAD A GOOD NUMBER OF TRANSFER APPLICATIONS I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY YET BUT WE DID HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF DECLINE.
DECLINING SEATS THAT WERE OFFERED THAN HAS BEEN IN THE PAST AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S CHOICE OR JUST OUR TIMING WE WE CAN'T AND WON'T EVER REALLY BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH TIMING OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SET THE SEAT OUR RESIDENTS FIRST AND SEE KIND OF WHERE WE ARE BUT THAT THOSE ARE KIND OF ANECDOTAL RIGHT NOW BUT THERE'LL BE A LOT MORE DATA IN AUGUST TO DIVE INTO YOU AND AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF MY NEXT QUESTIONS WAS WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE THE VERY FIRST YEAR EVER OF ESAS, OF VOUCHERS.
AND I WAS CURIOUS IF WE HAD ANY EARLY INDICATIONS ABOUT HOW THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTING US.
WE'RE NOT REALLY SEEING THAT AGAIN BECAUSE OUR I MEAN, IT'S HARD IF A STUDENT NEVER CAME TO US TO KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
BUT IN TERMS OF OUR KIDS COMING BACK AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING A REALLY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF OUR STUDENTS RETURNING.
SO NOT A LOT OF STUDENTS DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THEY'RE LEAVING TO GO FOR OTHER CHOICES.
OK, OUR STUDENTS, IT COULD BE SOME OF THE TRANSFER STUDENTS.
SEVERAL THAT THEY HAVE OUT THERE BUT OUR OWN STUDENTS ARE RETURNING OKAY AND THE GREATEST PAIN POINT YOU SAID STILL FEELS AT THE KINDER LEVEL YES YEAH OKAY YEP AND THEN CLAUDIA I HAD JUST A COUPLE FOR YOU SO YOU KNOW I LOVE LOOKING AT SOME OF THIS THE DATA FOR THE ADVERTISING YOU CONTINUE TO GET A LOT OF REACH FOR A PRETTY SMALL BUDGET BECAUSE YOU JUST SPENT WHAT TWO THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS YEAH OKAY.
DO WE KNOW, I KNOW YOU HAD GOOD DATA IN ABOUT IMPRESSIONS, WHICH IS TERRIFIC, A PRELIMINARY INDICATOR.
ARE WE ABLE TO TRACK HOW MANY APPLICATIONS CAME THROUGH THAT? IS THERE A WAY TO GET IT EVEN A LITTLE STEP OR TWO CLOSER TO THE FINAL RESULT? SHE HASN'T PULLED THAT YET, BUT SHE WILL FOR AUGUST.
AND ARE WE ABLE, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU CAN PUT LITTLE TOKENS ON THE LINK AND YOU CAN TRACK THE CLICK-THROUGHS.
IF THERE'S MORE WE COULD DO TO TRACK HOW MANY APPLICATIONS GET STARTED THAT ORIGINATED FROM A FACEBOOK AD.
SO MAYBE THAT'S A CONVERSATION FOR OFFLINE IF THERE'S ANY TRACKS.
HE MAY KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS THAN I DO.
BUT, I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S WAYS TO TRACK SOME OF THESE THINGS.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF WE COULD PUT A LINK IN THERE WHERE YOU CAN SEE, HOPEFULLY, HOW MANY ORIGINATED THAT CAME
[00:35:01]
FROM THE AD.PERSISTED THROUGH ONTO THE WEBSITE YEAH OKAY OKAY WE CAN AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT BREAKS THERE OKAY ALL RIGHT OKAY WELL THANK YOU FOR ME ALL RIGHT THANK YOU JOHN JAMES GET JUST REAL QUICK JOHN TOUCHED ON THIS I I'VE SCROLLED BACK TO OUR ENROLLMENT REPORT FROM LAST AUGUST LEE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER OF SECTIONS CLASSROOMS FILLED AT BARTON CREEK AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERN LAST YEAR AND I THINK WE WERE AT 32 IN THAT REPORT AND NOW WE'RE 29, I BELIEVE.
THERE USED TO BE LINES DOWN HERE THAT TOLD US THE NUMBER OF FTE, AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW I GOT THAT NUMBER.
SO WHERE YOU JUST, MY QUESTION WOULD BE, THIS IS THE RATE OF THE EXPECTED CHANGE YEAR OVER YEAR AT BARTON CREEK, AS WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT, THAT WE WERE KIND OF WORKING THROUGH A BIG BUBBLE ORIGINALLY, AND THE BLEND WAS GOING TO CREATE A LOT OF CHANGE.
CREATE A MUCH LARGER SCHOOL THAN IDEAL AT THAT TIME.
BUT NOW WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT.
SO WE'VE GONE FROM, AT THAT TIME, 681.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ENDED UP IN.
DOWN TO 618, I THINK WE SEE NOW.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S, I'M NOT SAYING THAT EVERYONE AT BARTON CREEK SAYS, YAY, THAT'S THE PERFECT NUMBER.
BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY SEEING THE NUMBERS WORK IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE EXPECTED THEM TO.
AND YOU CAN, I MEAN, IF YOU CAN LOOK RIGHT HERE ON THE CHART, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE EACH AT 123 RIGHT NOW, YOUR INCOMING KINDER IS 71.
SO EVERY YEAR, AND THIS IS WHY WE'RE TRYING TO GET THOSE KINDER NUMBERS UP, THOUGH, BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE HIGHER.
BUT, YEAH, AS YOU'RE GRADUATING FROM FIFTH GRADE, THESE BIGGER CLASSES, AND YOU HAVE FIVE AND SIX SECTIONS, AND YOU'RE ONLY HAVING FOUR SECTIONS AT KINDER, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO DEFINITELY SEE THAT DECLINE, WHICH IS WHAT WE KNEW WOULD HAPPEN BASED ON TRENDS.
AND THEN THERE IS THIS CONCERN, THANK YOU FOR THAT, BY THE WAY, THERE IS THIS CONCERN THAT YOU ADMIT A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TRANSFERS IN KINDERGARTEN AND YOU DON'T WANT, BECAUSE OVER TIME WE TEND TO SEE FAMILIES WITH A LITTLE BIT OLDER KIDS MOVING IN.
LIKE OUR DEMOGRAPHIC IN EANS IS NOT MOVE HERE WHEN YOU'RE 22 AND GET MARRIED AND RAISE A FAMILY.
IT'S MORE OF MOVE HERE WHEN YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT OLDER AND YOU'VE GOT OLDER KIDS AND YOU COME IN.
AND SO WE SEE, WE TEND TO SEE THIS SORT OF.
YOU SAY IN THIS SORT OF PYRAMID EFFECT, AND YOU SEE IT IN THESE CHARTS WHERE THE BIGGER, THE OLDER GRADES TEND TO BE BIGGER THAN, SAY, KINDERGARTEN.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S ALARMING IN THE SENSE THAT I THINK IT'S THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN A SCHOOL THAT I WOULD BE LOOKING AT, NOT HOW THEY'RE DISTRIBUTED.
BUT WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THIS? ARE YOU MINDFUL IN YOUR KINDERGARTEN ADMISSIONS FOR TRANSFERS OF THIS SORT OF? UPTAKE AND INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AS THEY AS WE IN THESE OLDER GRADES WE'RE SEEING THAT RIGHT HERE YEAH, WE ARE AND I THINK IF YOU EVEN LOOK RIGHT NOW I MEAN WE HAVE CAPACITY AND WE HAVE CAPACITY TO TAKE TO BOTH TAKE TRANSFERS BUT THEN ALSO LEAVE SOME GROWTH IN SOME ROOM SO THAT YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY HAVING EVEN LATER ON ADDING A STAFF MEMBER OR AN FTE BECAUSE OF THOSE TRANSFERS THAT COME IN YOU CALLED IT OUT, BY THE WAY.
YOU SEE IN FOURTH GRADE, IN GRADE 123, WE HAVE FIVE SECTIONS.
AND IN FIFTH GRADE, WE HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN FOUR SECTIONS.
THIS IS THE SORT OF THE STATE GUIDANCE OR THE REQUIREMENTS ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS PER CLASSROOM AS YOU GET TO FIFTH GRADE.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER THE BOARD WE BROUGHT TO YOU WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT OUR OPTIMIZATION PLAN, THAT WE WOULD RUN FIFTH GRADE AT 25.
KIND OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT IN FOURTH GRADE WAS LOWER, A LOWER NUMBER.
I JUST HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION.
SOMETHING YOU SAID INTERESTED ME.
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE KINDER READINESS SURVEY AND THAT YOU
[00:40:02]
USE THAT TO SEAT THE CHILDREN BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THAT.SURVEY, DOES THAT MEAN THEY GO INTO A DIFFERENT CLASSROOM? SO YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO BLEND THE CLASSROOMS? COULD YOU JUST SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? NO, IT'S REALLY WHERE WE DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THAT STUDENT.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ACCEPTANCE OF A STUDENT, IT'S MORE AROUND THAT READINESS AND LOOKING AT THEIR SKILL SET.
BECAUSE FOR FIRST THROUGH SENIOR OR FIRST THROUGH 12TH GRADERS, WE HAVE DATA.
WE HAVE GRADES AND DISCIPLINE AND TEST RESULTS THAT ARE ALL SENT IN AS PART OF THE PROCESS TO REVIEW.
FOR A KINDERGARTNER IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING WE DON'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT THEIR READINESS SO IT'S ALSO TO KIND OF LOOK AT THAT AND AND DETERMINE MAYBE IF A STUDENT IS IS READY TO COME INTO EANS OR NOT AND SO IT IS SOME CRITERIA THAT WE ARE WE CAN USE FOR ACCEPTING TRANSFERS OKAY SO YOU MIGHT DECLINE A STUDENT WE MIGHT DECLINE A STUDENT YES OKAY CORRECT THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALL RIGHT, KELLY.
OKAY, SOMETHING THAT I JUST NOTICED WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS WAS, HAVING BEEN HERE FOR 11 YEARS AND BEEN AT CEDAR CREEK, WE WENT FROM 425 KIDS WHEN MY KIDS JOINED 11 YEARS AGO UP TO 550 WHEN MY KIDS LEFT CEDAR CREEK, AND NOW WE'RE AT 524.
SO, LIKE, KIND OF WATCHING THE NUMBERS TOO CLOSELY ISN'T...
ISN'T SUPER HELPFUL BECAUSE THEY DO FLUCTUATE A LOT AND THEY GO KIND OF UP AND DOWN.
AND I'M SURE IF WE LOOKED AT IT OVER A BIGGER TIME.
THE BIGGEST THING WHEN I LOOK AT OUR ENROLLMENT NUMBERS IS I THINK OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE ON BUILDING A DISTRICT THAT REALLY REMAINS ATTRACTIVE AND ADAPTABLE TO THOSE FAMILIES IN OUR DISTRICT THAT WANT TO ATTEND HERE AND FOR US CONTINUING TO TRACK ANY SORT OF TRANSFERS.
I KNOW WE CAN'T CONTROL THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS, BUT LIKE CONTROLLING THE QUALITY OF THE SCHOOL AND THESE PROGRAMS AND THE WAY THAT YOU'VE SO STRATEGICALLY PLACED, DIVIDED OUT THE CLASSES SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THOSE CLASSROOMS WILL BE WHAT THE STANDARDS THAT WE'VE SET.
I JUST REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I JUST HAVE A QUESTION, MOLLY.
YOU SAID THIS YEAR IT WAS DECIDED THAT TRANSFER FAMILIES WOULD AUTOMATICALLY JUST GET THE SIEVE THEY WOULDN'T NEED TO REAPPLY IS THAT CORRECT? YES AS LONG AS WE DID WE STILL DID A REVIEW PROCESS OF ALL OF OUR TRANSFER STUDENTS AND SO THEN IF THEY WERE NOT IF THEY DIDN'T MEET OUR ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS THEN THEY OKAY SO THE QUESTION THEN IS WAS THERE ANY SORT OF LANGUAGE AROUND THAT THAT SEEMED TO IMPLY THAT THAT WOULD BE THE PRECEDENT GOING FORWARD? OR WAS IT SORT OF I'M JUST WONDERING IF PEOPLE HAVE LET'S SAY A THIRD GRADER HAS BEEN IN THE SYSTEM SINCE KINDERGARTEN AS A TRANSFER WILL THEY BE UNDER THE IMPRESSION POSSIBLY THAT THEY'RE JUST ROLLING IN FOR NEXT YEAR AS WELL OR OR? OKAY, YEAH, I MEAN THAT THAT WOULD BE OUR THAT WOULD BE OUR ACTION INSTEAD OF MAKING EVERYBODY REAPPLY BECAUSE AT THIS POINT IF YOU'VE BEEN ACCEPTED AS A TRANSFER STUDENT AND WE HAVE YOUR GRADES AND WE HAVE YOUR DISCIPLINE AND WE HAVE ALL THOSE THINGS, THEN WE ALREADY KNOW.
AND HAVING A PARENT GO BACK IN AND READ JUST, AND THAT PROBABLY YOU DON'T FORESEE ANY PROBLEMS WITH.
ONCE THEY ADVANCE FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GOING INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND EVEN HIGH SCHOOL WHERE A LOT OF KIDS WHO ARE IN DISTRICT SAY OPT TO COME BACK IN TO THE FOLD ONCE THEY GET THROUGH K-8.
I MEAN, IF WE GOT TO A POINT WHERE WE NEEDED TO, I MEAN, IT'S PART OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE SPACE.
SO WE COULD AT SOME POINT GO BACK AND SAY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE TRANSFERS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE SPACE.
THE OLDER THEY GET, THE MORE SPACE WE HAVE AND THE MORE CAPACITY WE HAVE.
WE HAVE SO IT USUALLY REALLY IS NOT AN ISSUE IT IS NOT BEEN OUR PRACTICE I WON'T SAY WE'VE NEVER DONE IT BUT IT IS VERY AND IT IS NOT COMMON FOR US TO HAVE TOLD A STUDENT WHO'S BEEN HERE AS A TRANSFER STUDENT WHO MEETS ALL OF OUR CRITERIA THAT BECAUSE OF SPACE THEY CAN'T STAY I WON'T SAY IT'S NEVER HAPPENED WE DEFINITELY TRY TO FIND THEM ANOTHER CAMPUS WITHIN THE DISTRICT BUT THAT NOT VERY COMMON, BUT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HOW IT PLAYS OUT.
[00:45:01]
IF YOU COULD GO TO THE SCHOOL, THE SLIDE WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOLS.SO I'M CURIOUS IF YOU COULD TALK TO US ABOUT WESTRIDGE.
AND SO IF I LOOK AT THE NUMBERS GLOBALLY OVER THREE YEARS, TWO YEARS AGO IT STARTED AT 887 AND THEN IT DROPPED TO 845, SO IT DROPPED ABOUT 40 STUDENTS, 42, AND THEN ROLLED FORWARD TO THIS YEAR AND WE'RE AT 819.
SO THAT'S TWO YEARS OF SIGNIFICANT DECLINES.
BUT WHEN I LOOK CLASS BY CLASS AS THEY MATURE THROUGH THE PROGRAM, IF I LOOK TWO YEARS AGO, THE SIXTH GRADERS, THERE WERE 287, AND THEN IT GREW, THAT GREW WHEN THEY WENT TO SEVENTH GRADE, THERE WERE 293.
SO WE ACTUALLY ADDED MORE STUDENTS IN THAT COHORT.
AND THEN TO THIS YEAR, THEY'RE NOW EIGHTH GRADERS.
SO WHEN I LOOK ACROSS THOSE COHORTS, IT DOESN'T REALLY LOOK LIKE THERE'S A PROBLEM.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE SHOULD WORRY ABOUT CONSIDERING THAT THE GLOBAL ENROLLMENT HAS HAS GONE DOWN? IT'S IT'S KIND OF THE SAME ISSUE WELL IT'S YOUR FEEDER PATTERNS COMING IN FROM YOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS NOW COMING IN ONLY FROM BARTON CREEK AND FOREST TRAIL SO YOUR SIXTH GRADE CLASSES ARE ARE NOW SMALLER AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING OVER AT WESTRIDGE.
ALL RIGHT AND I DO REMEMBER THAT BARTON CREEK HAD A VERY LARGE FIFTH GRADE CLASS, WHICH GRADUATED, AND WE KNEW THAT LAST YEAR'S KINDERGARTEN, THEY'RE NOW FIRST GRADERS AT BARTON CREEK.
SO WE KNOW THAT PERHAPS LOOKING AT BARTON CREEK AS A LEADING INDICATOR, IF THAT SCHOOL WILL SLOWLY GET SMALLER AND SMALLER, THEN THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT AT WESTRIDGE POTENTIALLY.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE BLENDED THE TWO SCHOOLS AT VALLEY VIEW, YOU KNOW, VALLEY VIEW WAS DOWN TO.
THREE SECTIONS AT THEIR SCHOOLS AND WOULD HAVE EVEN BEEN, I MEAN, THIS YEAR, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MAYBE ONE KINDERGARTEN CLASS.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THAT TREND IS COMING FROM.
AND THEN REGARDING BRIDGEPOINT, TO KELLY'S POINT, SHE HAD LIVED THROUGH THE LIFE CYCLE OF GROWTH AT CEDAR CREEK ELEMENTARY.
BRIDGEPOINT USED TO BE OUR LARGEST CAMPUS, OUR MOST POPULATED CAMPUS OF ALL.
AND SO I KNOW THAT THE POPULATION HAS DECLINED A BIT, BUT AT THIS POINT, IT'S NOT EVEN SECOND BEHIND BARTON CREEK, IT'S THIRD.
AND I SEE WE ONLY HAVE THREE SECTIONS OF KINDERGARTNERS.
SO I HEARD YOU SAY THAT TRANSFER FAMILIES ARE TRYING TO AVOID BRIDGEPOINT BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC.
THEY'RE NOT SELECTING BRIDGEPOINT.
ANYTHING WE SHOULD GLEAN FROM WHAT'S GOING ON THERE, CONSIDERING IT'S OUR LARGEST CAMPUS, IT'S OUR NEWEST CAMPUS? I JUST THINK IT'S JUST THE DEMOGRAPHICS OUT THERE, AND I DO THINK THAT THE CONSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DO THINK THAT THAT IS IMPACTING, BECAUSE I THINK YOU HAVE SOME FAMILIES THAT MAY BE NORTH WHO WOULD POSSIBLY, ONCE THIS IS ALL FINISHED IN WHATEVER YEAR THAT'S GOING TO BE, I COULD SEE THERE BEING MORE INTEREST THERE.
AS SOMEONE WHO DRIVES PAST BRIDGEPOINT EVERY SINGLE DAY, IT'S A REAL THING, IN HONEST.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
SO I THINK THAT CONCLUDES THE DISCUSSION.
[9.1. PUBLIC HEARING ON FEDERAL GRANTS Individuals wishing to address the Bo...]
SO WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR THANK YOU, MOLLY.WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR PUBLIC HEARING ON FEDERAL GRANTS.
DURING EVERY PUBLIC HEARING, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT, THOUGH THERE WAS NO ONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SO WE DO HAVE A DISCUSSION ITEM ON THIS.
IT IS NOT AN ACTION, AND IT IS 9.2, DISCUSSION AND PROPOSED
[9.2 Discussion and proposed District plans for use of Federal Grant Funds ...]
DISTRICT PLAN FOR THE USE OF FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS.AND AGAIN, WE HAVE MOLLY MAY TO SPEAK.
SO I'M GOING TO SPEAK WITH YOU THIS EVENING ABOUT THREE OF OUR FEDERAL GRANTS, AND I WILL GO THROUGH THOSE.
WITH OUR ESSA, WHICH IS EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT.
I WON'T GO THROUGH EVERYTHING.
THERE'S LOTS OF NUMBERS, BUT FOR YOU ALL TO SEE.
SO THE TOTAL FUNDING FOR THIS GRANT IS $309,000, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW IT IS DIVIDED INTO THE DIFFERENT TITLE FUNDS, AND WE MANAGE THOSE WITHIN MY DEPARTMENT AND WALK THROUGH EACH ONE OF THOSE.
SO TITLE I PROVIDES SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
WITH HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES.
OBVIOUSLY, EANS IS NOT A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT HAS A HIGH ECO-DISC POPULATION, AND SO OUR CAMPUSES ARE WHAT WE ARE
[00:50:02]
CONSIDERED TARGETED ASSISTANCE AND NOT LIKE A FULL TITLE I SCHOOL-WIDE PROGRAM.AND SO THERE'S CALCULATIONS, THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS THAT GO INTO DECIDING WHICH ONES OF OUR SCHOOLS WILL RECEIVE.
SOME OF THAT FUNDING AND BASICALLY YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SCHOOL THAT IS ABOVE YOUR DISTRICT AVERAGE SO OUR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AVERAGE IN EANES FOR OUR SNAPSHOT WAS 2.86 PERCENT AND SO OUR TWO HIGHEST PERCENTAGE CAMPUSES ARE CEDAR CREEK AT 5.76 AND BARTON CREEK AT 3.55 SO WE DESIGNATE THOSE TWO CAMPUSES AS TARGETED ASSISTANCE SO THEY RECEIVE SOME OF THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS AND WE USE THOSE FUNDS TO HELP WITH OUR INTERVENTION SERVICES ON THOSE CAMPUSES AND TARGET THOSE STUDENTS WHO MEET CRITERIA FOR TIER 2 INTERVENTION.
AND THAT'S, WE'VE DONE THAT, THAT'S BEEN OUR FUNDING PROCESS FOR YEARS AND THAT'S HOW WE USE THAT TITLE MONEY FROM TITLE TITLE II PART A IS AROUND INCREASING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH HIGH QUALITY TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL TRAINING AND HAVING HIGH QUALITY STAFF WITHIN YOUR SCHOOLS.
WE USE THIS FUNDING TO FUND A PORTION OF EACH ELEMENTARY INSTRUCTIONAL COACH FOR EACH ONE OF OUR CAMPUSES AND THAT MEETS THE PURPOSE OF THAT PARTICULAR TITLE GRANT.
TITLE III HAS TO DO WITH OUR EMERGENT BILINGUAL POPULATION AND AND FOR THAT GRANT, WE FUND OUR SUMMER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS RECEIVING ASL SERVICES, AND THAT INCLUDES SALARIES, TRANSPORTATION, AND MATERIALS.
THIS YEAR WE RECEIVED ABOUT $24,000 IN A NEW TITLE FUND, WHICH IS TITLE III PART A IMMIGRANT.
AND THIS WAS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PUT A LOT OF MONEY THIS YEAR INTO IMMIGRANT SERVICES, AND EANS RECEIVED A PORTION BASED ON OUR POPULATION.
AND THIS FUNDING, THIS IS NEW TO US, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT FUNDING SUPPLEMENTAL CURRICULUM MATERIALS.
LOOKING AT FAMILY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HELPING OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE COMING TO US WHO ARE LABELED IMMIGRANT, MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, ACCLIMATING INTO OUR ENVIRONMENT AND SUCCEEDING ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY.
THE NEXT TITLE FUND THAT WE HAVE IS TITLE IV, PART A, AND THIS LOOKS AT JUST BASICALLY THERE'S KIND OF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AROUND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
ACCESS TO WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION, PROVIDING SCHOOL ACTIVITIES FOR LEARNING.
YOU CAN ALSO USE IT FOR TECHNOLOGY.
OUR PROPOSED FUNDING THAT WE'VE USED FOR SEVERAL YEARS IS WE USE THIS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL TO SUPPORT OUR TEKS WITH CHARACTER EDUCATION.
AND SO WE HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED SECOND STEP, AND WE FUND SECOND STEP THROUGH THIS TITLE GRANT.
NEXT GRANT I'LL DISCUSS IS OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION CONSOLIDATED GRANT AND YOU'LL SEE THAT'S ABOUT $1.4 MILLION.
1.37 OF THAT COMES FROM IDB FORMULA AND THE OTHER IS IDB PRESCHOOL.
THESE FUNDING NUMBERS ARE REALLY SIMILAR.
THEY LOOK VERY, FROM YEAR TO YEAR, VERY MUCH THE SAME.
YOUR IDB FORMULA, THIS IS JUST MONEY THAT WE'RE GETTING TO HELP OFFSET SOME OF THOSE COSTS OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION.
SERVICES THAT WE ALL KNOW CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE.
WE USE THE IDB FORMULA GRANT FOR PAYROLL FOR TARGETED STAFF, AND THEN WE DO HAVE TO PUT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY ASIDE FOR RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENTS IF WE'RE PLACING ANY OF OUR STUDENTS RESIDENTIALLY, AND SOME OF THAT MONEY GOES TOWARD THAT.
YOUR IDB PRESCHOOL, WE HAVE ALWAYS USED THIS MONEY.
IT'S AROUND, I THINK, $20,000.
$3,000, $25,000, WE PAY ONE OF OUR ECSE TEACHERS.
PART OF THAT SALARY COMES FROM THIS GRANT.
AND THEN THE LAST GRANT I'LL DISCUSS IS OUR PERKINS GRANT, AND THIS REALLY IS EVERYBODY JUST KIND OF THINKS OF THIS ONE.
THEY'RE LIKE, OH, THIS IS YOUR CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION GRANT.
SO WE HAVE $43,000 THIS YEAR, AND WE LOOK AT HELPING OFFSET COSTS.
WITH SUPPLIES, MATERIALS, OR CONTRACTED SERVICES THROUGH OUR CATE GRANT.
JUST A REMINDER THAT WE ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO REACH OUT TO ALL OF OUR PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE ELIGIBLE STUDENTS THAT MEET ANY OF THESE CRITERIA AND IF THEY WISH TO PARTICIPATE WITH OUR FUNDING.
AND IF THEY DO AND THEY REACH OUT AND THEY MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS, WE ARE ACTUALLY LEGALLY
[00:55:02]
REQUIRED TO PROVIDE FUNDING.PUBLIC SCHOOL OR PRIVATE SCHOOLS, WE'VE DONE OUR CONSULTATION THIS YEAR.
WE'VE REACHED OUT TO ALL OF OUR PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND NONE OF THEM MEET THE ELIGIBILITY OR HAVE TAKEN US UP ON WANTING TO HAVE SERVICES.
AS WE STATED EARLIER, THERE WAS A PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION THIS EVENING, AND THAT'S REQUIRED, AGAIN, BY LAW THAT WE OFFER THAT.
WE ALSO SOLICIT FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE FINALIZING THE APPLICATION THIS SUMMER.
AND WE ASK THAT IF ANYBODY, AFTER SEEING THIS PRESENTATION, HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR WANTS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, THEY CAN CONTACT KIMBERLY DURRELL, WHO WILL BE TAKING THIS OVER.
AND QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS? JAMES? NO, NOT JAMES.
FINAL PRESENTATION GO WITHOUT ASKING QUESTIONS.
I'LL START BY SAYING THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MOLLY.
I DO HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS.
THE IMMIGRANT FUNDING THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT'S NEW, IS THAT JUST BASED ON, IT'S BASED SOLELY ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE IMMIGRANTS.
ARE YOU ABLE TO REVEAL TO US THAT NUMBER? I DON'T HAVE THAT OFFHAND.
IDEA, IT'S INTERESTING YOU SAID THESE NUMBERS HAVEN'T MOVED.
I DID, MYSELF, OUT OF CURIOSITY, LOOK BACK FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AND THEY REALLY HAVEN'T MOVED.
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FUNDING 40% FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND WE'RE GETTING MAYBE 16%? THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN AROUND, YEAH.
IT WAS PASSED AT 40% FUNDING, BUT YES, IT TYPICALLY IS ABOUT.
SO THEY HAVE NOT FULLY FUNDED THIS EVER.
AND THEN PERKINS, IS THAT NUMBER THAT WE GET BASED ON, WHAT'S IN THAT FORMULA? IS THAT JUST NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE HAVE, OR IS THERE ANYTHING WE COULD BE DOING DIFFERENTLY TO INCREASE THAT NUMBER? NO, I MEAN, THERE'S, AND I CAN'T, THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT FUNDING FORMULAS THAT THEY KIND OF USE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY AROUND, LIKE, OUR PROGRAMS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK THEY'RE JUST LOOKING AT ENROLLMENT.
SO THERE'S NOT REALLY A MECHANISM TO INCREASE THAT.
SO IN SUMMARY, NONE OF THESE FEDERAL PROGRAMS OR GRANTS, WE REALLY CAN'T IMPACT THE AMOUNT THAT WE GET? NOT SIGNIFICANTLY, NO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MOLLY.
[10.1 PUBLIC HEARING Regarding 2025-26 Proposed Budget & Tax Rate The Bo...]
ALL RIGHT, SO WE HAVE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT.I'M GOING TO HAVE TO FIND MY VOICE.
SO WE HAVE A SECOND PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT ON THE DISTRICT BUDGET AND TAX RATE, AND SO WE'LL MOVE TO THAT PORTION OF THE MEETING.
AND AGAIN, DURING EVERY PUBLIC HEARING, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT NO ONE IS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DISCUSSION
[11.2 Request to Approve Staff Compensation and Benefits for 2026-27]
ITEMS TONIGHT.BUT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THEM OUT OF ORDER.
SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH ITEM NUMBER 11.2, WHICH IS THE REQUEST TO APPROVE STAFF COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS FOR THE 2026-27 YEAR.
AND WE HAVE OUR CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER WITH US, MS. LORI LEE.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? WE COULD GO AHEAD AND DISCUSS WITHOUT A MOTION TECHNICALLY PER ROBERT'S RULES AND THEN COME BACK.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GO THROUGH THE SLIDES? YES, PLEASE.
CLICKER AND I ARE NOT GETTING ALONG.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT, AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE WITH MY NEW PARTNER, MR. POPPY.
SO WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT OUR STAFFING AND COMPENSATION, AND THEN HE WILL GO THROUGH THE BUDGET.
I WANTED TO PROVIDE A COUPLE OF CHARTS FOR YOU, AND HONESTLY, THESE CHARTS ARE REALLY KIND OF COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES, AND THEY ARE A LITTLE CONFUSING, BUT JUST WANTED TO TALK AND SHOW YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING.
ON MAY 22ND, WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAD ALREADY REDUCED THROUGH NATURAL ATTRITION AND OUR STAFFING OPTIMIZATION.
AND THE ONE ON THE RIGHT IS THE NEW CHART.
SO OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE AND CURRICULUM, ALONG WITH LOOKING
[01:00:02]
AT OUR ENROLLMENT, HAVE BEEN OBVIOUSLY WORKING VERY HARD AT LOOKING AT POSITIONS FOR REDUCTION, YOU KNOW, BASED ON ENROLLMENT AND BASED ON NEED.SO WE HAVE NOW ABOUT, IF I CAN SEE.
SEE THE SLIDE, 63 POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE SET ASIDE FOR NOT BEING FILLED THIS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
WE CURRENTLY ARE STILL LOOKING AT FILLING POSITIONS.
WE HAVE MAYBE A TOTAL OF SEVEN PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS.
THAT WOULD BE INCLUDING OUR TEACHING POSITION.
I HATE TO MENTION IT OUT LOUD WITH MR. ZEMO IN THE ROOM, BUT WE ONLY HAVE ONE SPED TEACHER THAT WE STILL HAVE LEFT TO HIRE.
THAT'S QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR HIS DEPARTMENT, WORKING REALLY HARD AT THAT WITH THE PRINCIPALS.
AND SO OUR STAFFING HAS BEEN GOING FAIRLY WELL.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR A COUPLE OF POSITIONS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
I THINK WE STILL HAVE ABOUT FIVE POSITIONS THAT WE ARE GOING TO FILL AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE'VE BEEN MAKING GREAT STRIDES TO ACHIEVE OUR GOAL AND OPTIMIZATION.
OUR CAMPUSES AND OUR CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION ARE REALLY LOOKING AT THEIR STAFFING NEEDS.
SO I WANTED TO WALK THROUGH THE AREA DISTRICT COMPENSATION INCREASES AND OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE YOU CAN SEE KIND OF A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE DOING THIS THIS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR AND I THINK IT REALLY DOES SHOW THE ENVIRONMENT THAT OUR DISTRICTS ALL OF OUR CENTRAL TEXAS DISTRICTS ARE FACING AND AS YOU CAN TELL THERE ARE QUITE A FEW ONE-TIME RETENTION PAYMENTS ON THE BOARD.
QUITE A FEW PEOPLE STILL WAITING TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH INCREASES BASED ON THEIR BUDGETS.
AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT VADERS IN NOVEMBER.
SO A LOT OF THAT IS REALLY BASED ON SOME OF THE SAME THINGS THAT WE ARE FACING IS JUST OUR BUDGET CONCERNS.
OH, LET ME JUST REAL QUICK LET YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
HOUSE BILL 2 FUNDING, REMEMBER THE TEACHERS RECEIVED, THE CLASSROOM TEACHERS DID RECEIVE THE LAST YEAR, IF THEY WERE AT THREE AND FOUR YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE, THEY RECEIVED THE $2,500.
AND THEN THE FIVE PLUS YEARS WAS $5,000.
THIS IS ONGOING TO NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, AND OUR HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE IS MONITORING THAT.
SO WE WILL ROLL PEOPLE UP IF THEY HIT THAT MARKER TO FIVE YEARS, AND THEY WOULD MOVE TO THAT $5,000 STIPEND OR EXTRA PIECE OF PAY.
AND THEN I ALWAYS LIKE TO SHOW YOU THE SALARY COMPARISON.
THIS IS THE 25-26, SO THIS IS THE SCHOOL YEAR THAT WE ARE JUST NOW ENDING.
MOST PEOPLE ARE STILL KIND OF WORKING THEIR SALARY SCHEDULES AND DON'T HAVE THEM ALL ONLINE YET, BUT YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THESE.
I THINK WE'VE SHOWED THESE TO YOU RECENTLY, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE'RE FALLING.
I KNOW THAT MR. KANEKI HAS SPOKE TO YOU ABOUT REALLY WORKING HARD IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO GET TO BE NUMBER ONE IN THAT FIRST YEAR STUDENT.
AND THEN WE DO SEE THAT WE KIND OF FALL ON THE SLIDES AS WE START LOOKING AT THE AND 20-YEAR TEACHERS, AND WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THROUGH OUR RETENTION, WE WANT TO KEEP THOSE TEACHERS, WE WANT TO REALLY LOOK AT THOSE AND KIND OF SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO THERE TOO.
I DO THINK THAT WHEN WE TALKED LAST TIME ABOUT MIDPOINT PAY VERSUS THE ACTUAL SALARY INCREASES, THAT MAKES A REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE LATER HIGHER END TEACHERS.
AND THEN OUR TRS HEALTH INSURANCE, OUR RATES HAVE COME IN.
WE'VE SEEN ABOUT AN 8% INCREASE OVERALL FOR OUR HEALTH INSURANCE.
WE STAND STILL REALLY PRETTY, YOU KNOW, REALLY GOOD WHERE WE'RE PAYING THE DISTRICT CONTRIBUTION OF $473.
HIGHEST BEING RIGHT NOW PAID BY DISTRICT IS 521.
I'M NOT GOING, BUT NEXT WAS JUST OUR QUESTIONS.
DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? SHOULD WE MAKE A MOTION? WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSION BEFORE MAKING A MOTION, AND THEN COME BACK AND MAKE A
[01:05:01]
MOTION FOR THE RECOMMENDATION.MEANS THE BUDGET PRESENTATION ALL RIGHT SO WE CAN MOVE TO ITEM 11 WILL TABLE A MOTION TEMPORARILY FOR 11.2 AND HERE
[11.1 Discussion and possible adoption of the proposed 2026-27 budget]
11.1 SHALL WE WAIT ON A MOTION FOR 11.1 AS WELL NO I DIDN'T WHY WERE THEY OUT OF ORDER IN THE FIRST PLACE? IT SEEMED LIKE YOU'D WANT TO TALK BUDGET BEFORE YOU TALK COMP.WE ACTUALLY GOT SOME FEEDBACK ABOUT MAYBE WANTING TO HEAR THE PRESENTATION ON SOME OF THE AREA COMPS, THAT DATA AHEAD OF THE BUDGET DISCUSSION IN CASE THAT WOULD INFLUENCE SOME OF THE COMPENSATION.
WELCOME TO OUR NEW CFO, PETE POPPY.
THANK YOU SUPERINTENDENT KONECKI, MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THANK YOU.
WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY IT IS AS MOLLY CELEBRATES HER LAST BOARD MEETING HERE WITH EANS ISD.
I GET TO CELEBRATE MY FIRST BOARD MEETING WITH EANS ISD SO IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE AGAIN WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT OUR PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING OUR 26-27 PROPOSED BUDGET.
I'VE BROKEN THIS PRESENTATION UP MORE EVEN IT'S FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING BUT IT'S ALSO MORE OF A JUST A CONVERSATION STYLE PIECE SO WE'RE GONNA BRIEFLY GO THROUGH THE REVIEW OF THE BUDGET CALENDAR WE WILL TALK ABOUT KIND OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE WRAPPING UP 2526 LOOK AT OUR ACTUAL OR OUR PROJECTED AS WE'RE GETTING REALLY CLOSE TO THE END OF THIS THIS YEAR WE'LL REVIEW SOME OFFER OPTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR AND THEN WE'LL REVIEW THREE LOOKING OUT THREE YEARS I THINK IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AHEAD.
I'VE GOT A PICTURE COMING UP, WHICH I GET REAL EXCITED ABOUT JUST BECAUSE I'M A CFO NERD GUY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT A REVIEW OF OUR ESTIMATED TAX RATE, AND THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THE THREE FUNDS THAT THE BOARD WILL BE ASKED TO APPROVE LATER TONIGHT, THE GENERAL FUND, THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND.
SO IF YOU RECALL, EVERY DISTRICT ACROSS THE STATE HAS PROBABLY HAD MORE CONVERSATIONS ON BUDGET THAN THEY'D REALLY LIKE IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO.
NO EXCEPTION, BUT JANUARY, YOU TALKED ABOUT YOU WENT THROUGH YOUR BUDGET CALENDAR, YOU WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, MS. LAURA LEE JUST SHOWED YOU WHAT THE END RESULT OF THAT WAS ON THE PERSONNEL SIDE AND THOSE POSITIONS AND THE HARD DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE TO GET TO TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION ON THE OVERALL BUDGET.
APRIL, WE RECEIVED OUR PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE OF OUR 2026 CERTIFIED VALUES FROM THE TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT, AND THEN WE ALSO, SOME EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION WAS DISCUSSED.
TONIGHT WE'LL HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARING, WE'LL APPROVE THE COMPENSATION PLAN, OR WE'LL RECOMMEND A COMPENSATION PLAN, AND THEN WE WILL AGAIN ASK THE BOARD TO ADOPT THE THREE FUNDS.
SO AS YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE, THE REASON I PUT THIS PICTURE IN HERE IS, I MEAN, YEAH, I'D LOVE A CONVERTIBLE, BUT THE REASON I PUT THIS PICTURE IN HERE IS I WANT YOU TO GET AN IDEA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE WINDSHIELD, RIGHT? WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, BUT A PIECE OF THAT WINDSHIELD IS THE REARVIEW MIRROR.
AND THERE'S A REASON THAT REARVIEW MIRROR IS SMALLER THAN THE WINDSHIELD.
YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE LOOKING FORWARD, BUT IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO KNOW WHERE YOU CAME FROM AND WHAT YOUR SURROUNDINGS ARE AROUND YOU WITH THE REARVIEW MIRROR AS WELL AS THE SIDE VIEW.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE WE'VE BEEN, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT 25-26, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO END THIS YEAR.
WE'LL ALSO TIE THAT TO THE ACTUAL, THE ENDING OF 24-25, AND THEN WE WILL TAKE THESE THREE PROJECTIONS THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING OR ONE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, AND WE CAN LOOK AT HOW THOSE AFFECT.
26, 27, AND THEN GO FORWARD 27, 28, 28, 29.
SO JUST LOOKING AT THIS SLIDE, WE'RE LOOKING AT 24, 25, AND IT'S ACTUAL.
SO THIS IS HOW WE FINISHED OUR ACTUAL FISCAL YEAR OF 24, 25.
WE HAD A REVENUE OF JUST UNDER 185 MILLION.
WE HAD EXPENSES JUST OVER 188 MILLION.
OUR REVENUES WERE LESS THAN OUR EXPENDITURES OF JUST OVER 3 MILLION, 3.2 MILLION.
OUR ENDING FUND BALANCE ACTUAL FUND BALANCE AUDITED FUND BALANCE AS OF JUNE 30TH OF 2025 WAS 26 MILLION HUNDRED THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED NINETEEN DOLLARS OF THAT RECAPTURE WAS NINETY THREE POINT TWO MILLION AND SO TYPICALLY WHAT WE DO IS WE TAKE TO GET A PERCENT AS WE TAKE THE
[01:10:01]
I DID IT OFF EXPENSES AND NOT REVENUE BECAUSE I KNEW THAT GOING FORWARD SOME OF THEM MAY NOT MATCH SOME OF THE HIGHER NUMBER BUT TAKE THE EXPENSES AND I SUBTRACT OUT THE PAYMENT FOR RECAPTURE BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY, IT'S A WASH.YOU GET IT ON THE REVENUE SIDE AND IT'S AN EXPENSE AND IT GOES AWAY.
SO IF WE LOOKED AT OUR PERCENT, IT WOULD EITHER MAKE IT ARTIFICIALLY LOW OR IF WE HAD A DEFICIT THRESHOLD, IT WOULD MAKE IT ARTIFICIALLY HIGHER THAN WHAT IT NEEDED TO BE.
SO WE TAKE OUT THE RECAPTURE PIECE.
AND SO IF YOU TAKE THAT, LOOK AT THAT NUMBER, AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2025, OUR FUND BALANCE IS ABOUT 28% OF OUR OPERATING EXPENDITURES.
SO THEN IF YOU LOOK AT 25, 26, WE'RE WRAPPING UP THIS.
WE'VE GOT ANOTHER WEEK OR SO LEFT IN THIS YEAR.
WE'LL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE REVENUE WITH SOME SUMMER SCHOOL THINGS AND SOME ANY CREDITS AND KIDS ARE IN THE SUMMER AND THEN WE'LL GET THAT IN THE AUGUST IN THE AUGUST PEM SUBMISSION.
BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUR EXPENDITURES WILL EXCEED OUR REVENUES A LITTLE OVER FOUR MILLION DOLLARS AS WE PROJECT OUT WHAT WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO END 25-26.
SO THAT WILL TAKE OUR FUND BALANCE FROM JUST ABOUT 26.1 MILLION TO JUST ABOUT 22 MILLION.
WE SUBTRACT OUT THE RECAPTURE OF 75 MILLION, AND THAT GETS OVER.
DOWN TO ABOUT 23% OF OUR FUND BALANCE.
NOW THERE IS BEST PRACTICE IF YOU WILL YOU'D LIKE TO KEEP IT ABOUT 25% THAT'S NOT IN OUR IN OUR SOME DISTRICTS HAVE IT AS BOARD POLICY THAT'S NOT IN OUR BOARD POLICY SO IT'S NOT A POLICY THAT WE'RE BELOW.
TEA USED TO SAY 90 DAYS NOW THEY HAVE CHANGED THEIR SCHOOL FIRST NUMBER ITEM NUMBER SIX NOW SAYS IT'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS BUT ONE OF THEM ON THE DAYS IS 75 DAYS THAT'S ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MONTHS ABOUT TWENTY POINT FIVE FIVE PERCENT SO WE'RE AT TWENTY THREE TWENTY EIGHT TWENTY THREE SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA THAT IT'S NOT LIKE THE END-ALL BE-ALL IF YOU GO BELOW THAT BUT IT IT DOES RAISE A FLAG AND YOU'LL BE ASKED THAT FROM YOUR RATING AGENCIES AND IT'LL BE SOMETHING YOU'LL HAVE TO EXPLAIN OF COURSE IT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING MOST DISTRICTS ARE EXPLAINING AT THIS TIME SO WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR THREE-YEAR PROJECTIONS WE PROVIDE THE BOARD WITH THREE OPTIONS OPTION ONE WAS A NO COMPENSATION INCREASE.
OPTION NUMBER TWO WAS A ONE-TIME PAYMENT.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE PUT ON THE WEBSITE AS THE PROPOSED BUDGET, SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING THIS EVENING.
BUT WHATEVER THE BOARD DOES, WE WILL ADJUST ACCORDINGLY, AND WE'LL UPDATE THE WEBSITE IN THE NEXT DAY, TOMORROW.
THEN OPTION THREE IS A 2% COMPENSATION INCREASE.
SO WE LOOKED AT THE FIRST OPTION WAS A 0% COMPENSATION INCREASE.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DO STRESS.
THE ASTERISKS ON THESE SLIDES, IF YOU LOOK AT 26, 27, THE REVENUES EXCEED EXPENDITURES JUST UNDER $1.6 MILLION.
HOWEVER, JUST TO CLARIFY, THERE'S $1.5 MILLION IN THE BUDGET TO SELL US SOME DISTRICT PROPERTY.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS DISCUSSED AND KNOWN BECAUSE THAT SALE MAY NOT HAPPEN.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF BUT WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET IS $1.5 MILLION.
AND THEN THAT WOULD GET US OUR PROJECTED, IF WE DID THAT, WE WOULD ADD APPROXIMATELY JUST UNDER $1.6 MILLION TO FUND BALANCE, AND THAT WOULD PUT OUR FUND BALANCE AT $23.6 MILLION AND GET US ABOUT 25.7% OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET.
THEN I KNOW THERE'S BEEN TALK IN THE COMMUNITY OF GOALS ABOUT TRYING TO DO 2% IN 27-28 AND 2% IN 28-29, SO WE WANTED TO AT LEAST PUT THAT OUT THERE.
SO INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT THINGS AT A 12-MONTH PERIOD, WE'RE LOOKING AT...
IF WE DO THIS, THEN IT AFFECTS THIS, AND IT AFFECTS THE YEAR AFTER AND THE YEAR AFTER, AND HOW WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE A GOOD DECISION CURRENTLY.
SOMETIMES WE MAKE A TOUGH DECISION NOW, MAKE A BETTER DECISION IN THE FUTURE, AND SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE BIG PICTURE.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE BIG WINDSHIELD.
SO IF YOU DID A 2% IN 27, THEN AGAIN, WE TAKE THE $1.5 MILLION OUT OF THE REVENUE IN THAT YEAR BECAUSE THAT WAS A ONE-TIME.
BUDGETED IN 26-27, SO WE WOULD END THE YEAR PROJECTED ABOUT A DEFICIT OF 1.5 AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR BE A DEFICIT OF ABOUT 3.2.
NOW THERE IS A LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN THE SPRING OF 27 THAT WOULD GO INTO EFFECT ASSUMING ANY SCHOOL FINANCE BILL IS PASSED TO BE SEPTEMBER OF THE 27-28 YEAR.
THERE HAVE BEEN YEARS IN THE PAST WE'VE GONE SPECIAL SESSION IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT LATER BUT THEY'VE USUALLY ALWAYS MADE THAT RETRO.
HOWEVER IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST THREE SESSIONS REALLY THE ONLY NEW FUNDING DISTRICTS HAVE GOTTEN HAS BEEN TIED TO EXPENSES THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
THE TEACHER RAISE, WE GOT THE REVENUE, WE HAD TO SPEND THE EXPENSE.
SO IT WASN'T DISCRETIONARY REVENUE IF YOU TAKE THAT, IF YOU LOOK AT IT THAT PERSPECTIVE.
SO AGAIN, JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT PERSPECTIVE.
AND THIS NEXT SLIDE IS THE SAME THING.
IF YOU DO A ZERO PERCENT RAISE, THEY DO A ONE-TIME PAYMENT.
[01:15:02]
ABOUT $750,000 GIVE OR TAKE.SO YOU HAVE THE, INSTEAD OF ADDING 1.6, GIVE OR TAKE, YOU WOULD BE ADDING ABOUT $855,000 TO THE FUND BALANCE.
THEN THE NEXT YEAR YOU'D BE, AGAIN, ONE-TIME PAYMENT.
THE BENEFIT IS IT'S NOT A RECURRING EXPENSE.
THE NEGATIVE SIDE TO THAT IS IT TYPICALLY DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR TRS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES FOR THE RETIREMENT AND THE RETIREMENT CALCULATION.
BUT THEN YOU, AGAIN, 27, 28, 28, 29, YOU WOULD END THE SAME.
NEGATIVE 1.5 AND NEGATIVE 3.2.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS THE 2%, SO WITH THAT $1.5 MILLION IN THAT SALE OF PROPERTY GOING THROUGH, YOU WOULD END THE YEAR ABOUT $54,000 DEFICIT BUDGET.
THEN THE NEXT YEAR WOULD BE A $3.2 MILLION DEFICIT, AND THE YEAR AFTER THAT WOULD BE AN ALMOST $5 MILLION DEFICIT BUDGET.
AGAIN, THERE'S A LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN THERE.
PREDICT WHAT THE LEGISLATION IS GOING TO DO, AS FAR AS SCHOOL FUNDING GOES.
BUT, AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT CURRENTLY AND HOW THAT AFFECTS IN THE YEARS TO COME AND WHERE WE'RE AT.
PETE, AGAIN, I WAS A SOCIAL STUDIES MAJOR, NOT A MATH MAJOR, BUT JUST IN CASE ANYBODY'S LISTENING AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION NOW, TO RECAP WHAT I JUST HEARD YOU SAY.
EACH OF THESE OPTIONS THAT WERE PREPARED AT THE BOARD'S REQUEST ARE SHOWING US A FUTURE BEYOND THE 26-27 BUDGET, WHICH WE'RE ASKING THE BOARD TO CONSIDER TONIGHT.
AND THOSE FUTURE YEARS ARE SHOWING BASICALLY A BUILT-IN 2% EACH OF THE FOLLOWING TWO YEARS THAT CASCADE INTO THIS BUDGET.
SO WE CAN SEE HOW IT WOULD GROW TO APPROXIMATELY $1.5 MILLION A YEAR EACH YEAR.
ON TOP OF ANY OTHER REVENUES AND EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT'S THERE, AND THAT'S FORECASTED.
THOSE ARE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT TO THE FUTURE TO TRY TO GET TO WHAT LORI WAS MENTIONING BEFORE, WHICH IS I'VE ASKED YOU BOTH TO LOOK AT A THREE-YEAR PLAN TO GET US BACK INTO THE TOP TIER OF PAY FOR SALARY AND COMPENSATION ACROSS THE STATE, WHICH IS WHAT WE KIND OF THINK THIS COULD HELP US TO ACHIEVE, WHICH IS WHY THE BOARD ASKED TO HAVE THOSE LOOKS.
WITH THAT 2% BUILT IN, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THOSE ARE NOT GUARANTEED NUMBERS OR GUARANTEED SALARY INCREASES IN THE FUTURE.
THEY ARE REALLY FOR US TO PLAN AND FORECAST STRATEGICALLY BEYOND 26.
THERE HAS BEEN TALK OF GETTING US THERE, SO WE WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE SO WE CAN SEE WHAT THE DECISION IN 26, 27, HOW THAT WILL AFFECT THE POTENTIAL.
IN THIS CASE, A FORECAST OF 2% RAISE FOR EACH OF THE NEXT TWO YEARS AND WHAT THAT MEANS TO THE DISTRICT AND HOW EACH OF THOSE WILL AFFECT THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE TONIGHT AS WELL AS IN THE FUTURE.
SO NEXT WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR ESTIMATED TAX RATE, THE TAX ADOPTION PROCESSES, AS WELL AS REVIEW OUR TAX, OUR HISTORY.
YOU KNOW, WE SUBMIT OUR INFORMATION TO TEA HERE IN LATE JULY.
OR VERIFY THE MAXIMUM COMPRESSED RATE.
AND THEN ONCE THAT IS APPROVED, THEN WE ARE ABLE TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF ADOPTING OUR TAX RATE.
WE TYPICALLY ADOPT THE TAX RATE IN THE PRIOR YEARS, AND THERE'S TWO MEETINGS A MONTH.
IT WAS THE SECOND MEETING IN AUGUST.
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE WITHIN 60 DAYS OF RECEIVING CERTIFIED VALUES.
USUALLY, THAT PUTS YOU TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
THE M&O TAX RATE CANNOT BE SET ANY HIGHER THAN THE MCR.
I THINK UP TO FIVE PENNIES AND THEN IF YOU'VE HAD A VADER WHAT THIS DISTRICT HAS WE HAVE ALL WE'VE GOT THREE ADDITIONAL GOLD PAY SO WE HAVE OUR MCR PLUS EIGHT PENNIES AND THEN IF YOU WERE TO GO ANY ADDITIONAL PENNIES HIGHER THAN THAT YOU'D HAVE AN ADDITIONAL VADER INVADERS A VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE ELECTION WHICH WE ARE NOT PLANNING OR ANTICIPATING HAVING AND WE THAT WOULD BE A HARD HARD SELL IN A COMMUNITY SUCH AS THIS WITH MOST OF THAT MONEY WOULD WOULD GO BACK TO RECAPTURE WE WOULD NOT GET A STAY HERE IN OUR DISTRICT WITH OUR STUDENTS.
THE INS RATE IS SET IN A MANNER THAT ALLOWS THE DISTRICTS TO BE UP TO 50 CENTS.
OR WHEN YOU SET YOUR DEBT OR WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR BOND, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THAT 50 CENTS OR LESS WOULD MANAGE THAT RATE.
OUR DISTRICT IS AT 12 CENTS AND WE ANTICIPATE MAINTAINING THAT RATE AT 12 CENTS AS WELL FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
THIS NEXT SLIDE RIGHT HERE SHOWS YOU THE HISTORY.
GOING BACK, YOU CAN LOOK AT 26, 27, AND 25, 26.
THE M&O RATE IS THE SAME, .7122 PER $100 VALUATION, AS WELL AS THE INS RATE AT 12 CENTS.
THIS IS THE TAX RATE THAT WAS USED IN THE ESTIMATES TO DEVELOP THE BUDGET.
[01:20:01]
AT A LATER MEETING, USUALLY IN AUGUST.IT COULD BE AS LATE AS SEPTEMBER.
SO WE'LL BRIEFLY GO THROUGH THE THREE FUNDS.
THIS IS SET AS THE NUMBERS ON HERE ARE GOING TO SHOW AS THE ONE-TIME PAYMENT.
BUT YOU'VE SEEN HOW EFFECTIVE THE OTHER NUMBERS ARE.
SO THEY'RE BASED ON CURRENT LAW, NO INCREASE IN TAX AND SALARIES.
IT DOES INCLUDE THE ONE-TIME PAYMENT AND A 1.33% DECREASE IN OUR TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE.
SO IF YOU EXCLUDE, RECAPTURE ALL OF OUR BUDGET GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES, THEY DECREASE BY 3.87%.
IT'S APPROXIMATELY 3.7 MILLION FROM 25-26 AND THEN ALMOST 4% FROM THE YEAR PRIOR TO THAT, 24-25.
PERSONNEL EXPENSES, THAT'S A MIX OF 87.5% OF OUR 26-27 GENERAL FUND, DECREASED BY ALMOST 3.5%, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 2.9 MILLION FROM 25-26, AND A DECREASE IN ADDITIONAL 3.6 IF YOU GO BACK THE YEAR BEFORE THAT IN 24-25.
SORRY, EXCLUDING RECAPTURE AND PAYROLL EXPENSES, ALL OTHER GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES DECREASED BY 6.48%, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY $800,000.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT NUMBER WAS DUE TO LEGAL FEES AND ELECTION COSTS IN THE 2025-2026 YEAR.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND, WE'RE BRINGING TONIGHT REVENUES OF $169.25 MILLION, WITH TOTAL EXPENSES OF $168.4 MILLION FOR A BUDGETED INCREASE IN THE FUND BALANCE OF $0.85 MILLION.
WHICH KIND OF IS IN LINE WITH WHAT THE PREVIOUS OPTION ONE WAS, OR SORRY, OPTION TWO.
THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, AGAIN, I DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING TO CHANGE ON THE RATE.
OUR DEBT SERVICE DOESN'T REALLY ALIGN WITH OUR FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS NOT UNCOMMON.
A LOT OF MORE AND MORE DISTRICTS ARE GOING TO A JULY 01, JUNE 30 FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE HAVE OUR PAYMENTS ARE IN AUGUST AS A PRINCIPAL PAYMENT, AND THEN WE HAVE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST IS IN FEBRUARY.
SO CURRENTLY WE END JUNE 30TH.
LOOK ON PAPERS AND IT'S LIKE, OH WOW, YOU GOT REALLY HEALTHY FUND BALANCE.
WELL, YOU HAVE A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL PAYMENT SIX WEEKS LATER IN AUGUST.
SO AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, JUNE 30TH, THE FUND BALANCE WE EXPECT TO BE ABOUT $26.6 MILLION, BUT WE DO HAVE AN AUGUST PAYMENT WITH VERY LITTLE TAX REVENUE COMING IN IN JULY AND AUGUST OF $21.2 MILLION.
SO REALLY IT'S ABOUT A $5 MILLION FUND BALANCE.
AND THE DEBT SERVICE FUND IS $25.6 MILLION.
THE TOTAL EXPENSE IS $24.9 FOR A BUDGETED SURPLUS OF $0.7 MILLION.
AND THEN OUR CHILD NUTRITION BUDGET, JUST TO REITERATE IN CASE MAYBE YOU DO NOT KNOW, WE DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM.
WE OPERATE AS AN ENTERPRISE FUND FOR OUR FOOD SERVICE.
AND OUR GOAL IS FOR THE REVENUES TO, AT A MINIMUM, COVER THE COST OF THE PROGRAM.
SO 2023-24 WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE DID NOT PARTICIPATE.
THAT FIRST YEAR, THEY WERE A LITTLE SHORT ON REVENUE.
THAT LOAN WAS REPAID IN THE 25-26 YEAR.
SO WE'RE REVIEWING THE CHARGES.
THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE INCREASED.
WE'RE NOT BRINGING A RECOMMENDATION THAT IT'S TIME TO CHANGE ANY MEAL PRICES, BUT WE DO HAVE A BUDGET THAT IS, CORRECTLY, JUST A LITTLE BIT OVER SURPLUS IN THE NUTRITION, THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND.
MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE HAD TWO DECIMAL PLACES ON THIS ONE BECAUSE I DO KNOW HOW TO ADD 5.4 MINUS 5.4 AND I GOT .1.
SO JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS ROUNDING, OKAY? BUT JUST SO EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF THAT PIECE.
SO AGAIN, WE MUST ADOPT THE BUDGET BY THE END OF THE MONTH, JUNE 30TH OF 2026.
POSTING WAS IN THE JUNE 12TH EDITION OF THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATEMENT.
THEY ARE INVITED TO MAKE COMMENTS.
I DON'T BELIEVE ANY OF THEM HAVE SIGNED UP FOR IT.
AND THEN THE BUDGET BY FUNCTION CAN BE FOUND ON THE PROPOSALS WE HAVE AT A LATER ITEM.
AND JUST ONE THING I DO WANT TO JUST CLARIFY JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE 100% IN COMPLIANCE AND EVERYTHING IN OUR BUDGET, BUT WE DO HAVE MONEY SET ASIDE FOR ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION FOR ANY STUDENT WHO DID WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN THE END OF COURSE EXAM IN ACCORDANCE WITH HOUSE BILL 5 OF THE 83RD LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AND THEN WHATEVER THE BOARD APPROVES OR ADOPTS TONIGHT, WHEN WE ADOPT THOSE, WHEN WE POST THOSE ON THE WEBSITE, WE WILL MAKE SURE WE INCLUDE A STATEMENT THAT SAYS THE TAX FORMS USED FOR THE TRUTH IN TAXATION AND THE OTHER TAX BUDGET CALCULATIONS WILL BE UPDATED, INCLUDED ONCE WE RECEIVE CERTIFIED VALUES IN LATE JULY OR EARLY AUGUST.
BUT I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ALL RIGHT, JAMES HAS HIS HAND RAISED, AND THEN JOHN.
A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR BOTH OF YOU, I THINK, ACTUALLY.
[01:25:03]
I SEE THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.I GET THE $1.5 MILLION AND THAT SORT OF THING.
THE POST-LEGISLATIVE YEAR BEYOND AND YEAR BEYOND THAT, THERE ARE NO ASSUMPTIONS FOR INCREASED REVENUE.
NAMING RIGHTS, PARTNERSHIPS, NOTHING LIKE THAT WORKED IN.
THERE'S NO INCREASE TO THE BASIC ALIGNMENT, NO CHANGE IN THE TAV AT THIS POINT? OR IS THERE AN ASSUMPTION AROUND THE TAV? NO, WE KEPT THE TAV AT ZERO.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS BASED ON CURRENT LAW.
I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO ANTICIPATE THE LEGISLATURE.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO DO THE BUDGET.
AND IT'S MOSTLY GOING TO SHOW NEGATIVE MORE AS YOU GET FARTHER OUT BECAUSE IT IS CURRENT LAW.
IN MY OPINION, DOES IT COUNT? I DON'T SEE THE LEGISLATURE ROLLING OUT A BIG CHANGE TO THE BASIC ALLOTMENT.
I THINK YOU POINTED OUT THEY TEND TO BE TYING MONEY NOW TO PET THINGS, AND THEN THERE NEEDS TO BE A BIG DESIRE TO FURTHER EXEMPT AGE CLASSES FROM PROPERTY TAXES AND MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF LOWER TAXES.
AND IN THE LONG RUN, I THINK THE STATE IS LOOKING AT POTENTIAL DEFICIT BUDGETS COMING UP TOO, EVEN AT THIS POINT.
SO THE IDEA THAT THE BASIC ALLOTMENT IS GOING TO SAVE US, NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO BANK ON.
BUT NONETHELESS, WE ARE LOOKING FOR REVENUE OPPORTUNITY.
WE ARE LOOKING AT NAMING RIGHTS.
LORI, I WANTED TO ASK YOU, I GUESS, DO YOU HAVE ANY INDICATION OF IF THERE'S A WORRY THAT OUR COMPENSATION IS ALLOWING OTHER DISTRICTS TO POACH OUR TEACHERS, IS THERE A DISTRICT OR TWO THAT...
THAT YOU SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING TO? WHERE DO WE SEE THAT? WHO DO WE NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR? WHO'S TAKING OUR PLAYERS? I THINK THIS YEAR IT'S LAKE TRAVIS.
AND THEIR BOARD DID, AND IT'S IN YOUR DECK, OR IT'S IN YOUR DECK, THEY DID A 1% COMP INCREASE AND $1,000 RETENTION.
AND THEIR RETENTION IS PAID IN, I THINK IT'S NOVEMBER AND MARCH OR APRIL.
CLOSER TO DECEMBER AND MAYBE AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR SPLIT, BUT I'M NOT POSITIVE ABOUT THAT.
BUT THAT'S TYPICALLY HOW THEY'RE DONE.
YEAH, AND I THINK I READ IN COMMUNITY IMPACT THAT THEY SOLD SOME PROPERTY.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO SAY THAT MAYBE THE REASON WE DIDN'T JUMP FOR EMOTION HERE IS WE'RE ALL STRUGGLING WITH, NO, I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR JAMES, I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK FOR WE'RE ALL.
THERE'S A STRUGGLE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT GREAT PEOPLE THAT WE WANT TO KEEP AND WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.
AND THEN THERE'S THIS WHOLE PETE'S GOING TO GET MAD AT US IF WE SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY.
I THINK THAT WE SIT HERE, EVERY YEAR WE SIT HERE AND SAY, I'D LIKE TO GIVE MORE MONEY.
OF COURSE WE WANT TO GIVE MORE MONEY.
NONETHELESS, I'M MUMBLING NOW, BUT THE, I DON'T KNOW, IS THERE A PASS THE BUDGET? WE HAVE TO PASS THE BUDGETS.
LET ME ASK YOU THIS, TOO, REAL QUICK.
IN OUR PACKET, WE HAVE SOME MOTIONS THAT WE CAN MAKE.
THERE'S SOME WORDING FOR SOME MOTIONS.
AND IN THOSE WORDINGS, THERE ARE BLANK LINES.
THERE'S A BLANK THAT SAYS BLANK PERCENT INCREASE OR BLANK BONUS OR THAT KIND OF THING.
SCOTT ON HIS WAY OUT KIND OF MADE ME FEEL LIKE HE'S GOING TO PUT TOGETHER THREE BUDGETS, WHICH YOU JUST SHOWED US, AND THOSE ARE THE THREE WE PICKED FROM.
SO IS THAT WHAT WE PUT IN HERE, OR DO WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT NUMBER AT THIS POINT? THE BOARD ALWAYS HAS THE FLEXIBILITY TO MAKE UP THEIR NEWSPAPER.
I MEAN, WE GAVE YOU THREE THAT WE THOUGHT MET THE FEEDBACK THAT WE WERE GETTING FROM THE BOARD TO GIVE YOU A GOOD IDEA OF THE ZERO.
WHAT A TWO WOULD BE AND THEN THE ONE-TIME PAYMENT PIECE.
AND THAT ONE-TIME PAYMENT COSTS THE DISTRICT APPROXIMATELY ABOUT WHAT A 1% RAISE WOULD BE.
IT JUST BENEFITS THE EMPLOYEE GROUPS THAT ARE PROBABLY ON THE LOWER ENDS OF THE INCOME SCALE AS OPPOSED TO A FLAT 1% RAISE.
IN FACT, THE WORDING ON THE MOTION IS BLANK DOLLARS FOR FULL-TIME AND BLANK DOLLARS FOR PART-TIME.
IF YOU WERE TO CHOOSE TO MAKE IT.
DIFFERENTIATE THAT YOU COULD NOW I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WE PROBABLY HAVE ABOUT 20 PART-TIME PEOPLE BECAUSE WE CONSIDER A BUS DRIVER A FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT SO I WOULD YOU KNOW I WOULD RECOMMEND WE PAY THEM WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE IS THAT ONE TIME PAYMENT BUT WE HAVE VERY FEW PART-TIME PEOPLE WHO WOULD IF YOU WANTED TO OFFSET THAT OKAY THANK YOU I CAN MAKE A MOTION
[01:30:05]
AT SOME POINT BUT YOU'RE STILL TAKING QUESTIONS YES, WE'RE STILL IN DISCUSSION.SO, PETE, FIRST OF ALL, WELCOME.
I THINK IT'S YOUR FIRST OFFICIAL MEETING AS CFO.
SO THE BUDGET YOU PUT OUT FOR 26-27.
INCLUDES THE ONE AND A HALF MILLION FOR THE SALE OF THE LIBRARY.
THE SALE OF LAND? THE SALE OF PROPERTY, YEAH.
WE WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT IT FOLKS.
THERE IS PROPERTY FOR SALE, WE DO HAVE THAT BUILT IN THE BUDGET.
SO THERE IS A SALE OF A PROPERTY AND IT IS NOT FINALIZED YET.
SO SO TO ME, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT IT IS BAKED IN EVEN THOUGH THE CONTRACT HASN'T BEEN SIGNED.
AND THEN THE PAYMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NOW EANS AQUATIC CENTER, THOSE HIT THIS CURRENT YEAR.
AND SO THOSE ARE REFLECTED IN THE $4 MILLION DEFICIT PROJECTED FOR THIS YEAR.
SO THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
AND THEN, LORI, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M WRESTLING WITH IS THIS CONTRACT FOR THIS ASSET SALE ISN'T FINALIZED YET, AND YET HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET, AND IT'S BAKED INTO THE PROJECTIONS.
AND SO DO YOU SEE A DOWNSIDE WITH STAFF, AND ALSO WHEN YOU FACTOR IN WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS ARE DOING, IF WE WAIT UNTIL AUGUST? WHICH WAS THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION OF ADMIN A COUPLE MONTHS AGO WHEN CHRIS WAS HERE, IF WE WAITED UNTIL AUGUST TO DECIDE ON ANY DECISION RELATED TO COMPENSATION AT THAT POINT, DO YOU SEE AN IMPACT FROM A STAFFING PERSPECTIVE TO DELAY IT BASICALLY FROM JUNE 23RD UNTIL THE AUGUST 18TH BOARD MEETING? I DON'T SEE THAT THERE WOULD BE ANY PROBLEM TO WAIT UNTIL AUGUST IF THAT WAS THE THING THAT OUR STAFF NEEDS.
AND SO COMMUNICATION FROM LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS TO...
KNOWING THAT WE HAVE A ONE POINT, IF WE GO TO THE SLIDE FOR, DO YOU MIND GOING TO THE SLIDE FOR OPTION ONE? THANK YOU.
SO THE KIND OF THE BASE BEFORE WE TAKE ANY ACTION, IN EFFECT, THE SALE OF THE PROPERTY IS.
MORE OR LESS THE ENTIRE SURPLUS.
ONCE YOU REMOVE THAT, IT'S A $79,000 SURPLUS.
SO PERSONALLY, I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE WISE TO WAIT UNTIL THE AUGUST MEETING TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON COMP, BECAUSE OTHERWISE, WHATEVER WE AGREED TO TODAY COULD END UP, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE CONTRACT'S NOT SIGNED AND NO CONTRACT IS FINAL UNTIL A CONTRACT IS FINAL.
WE WOULD BE MAKING A COMMITMENT WITHOUT REVENUE TO OFFSET IT, WHICH COULD HAVE US IN A DEFICIT BUDGET WITHOUT IT.
AND SO TO ME, IF THERE'S NOT A REAL DELAY, IF WE'RE NOT CONCERNED FROM A STAFFING PERSPECTIVE AND WAITING TWO MONTHS, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE SOME OTHER DISTRICTS THAT HAVEN'T DECIDED YET AS WELL, RIGHT, LORI? OKAY.
SO WE HAVE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT HAVEN'T DECIDED AS WELL.
WE HAVEN'T SOLD THE ASSET YET.
WE HAVE THE REVENUE TO OFFSET IT.
AND THEN ALSO WE SHOULD JUST SEPARATELY ALSO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT TAV BY AUGUST AS WELL, RIGHT, PETE? YEAH, WE'LL HAVE CERTIFIED VALUES.
UPSTATE GOES DOWN, LOCAL GOES UP, DOWNSTATE GOES UP.
WE TYPICALLY RUN ABOUT, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE USUALLY HAVE
[01:35:02]
ABOUT A MILLION.IF YOU GO BACK TO THAT BUDGET AND FORECAST, PROJECTED, THERE IS TYPICALLY ABOUT A MILLION.
IF PEOPLE LEAVE DURING THE YEAR, IF YOU HAVE A SUB IN THERE, ALL THAT STUFF ACCUMULATED, SOME VACANCIES, BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE RUN ABOUT NINE.
SORRY, IT'S ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
WE HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, IT'S A TIGHT BUDGET, BUT THERE IS SOME LITTLE, BUT THAT TAKES ALL THE CUSHION WE'D EVER HAVE, YOU KNOW.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S A TOUGH SPOT.
DO YOU DO IT NOW? DO YOU WAIT UNTIL AUGUST? YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF THE.
I MEAN, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WITHOUT DEBATING THE MERITS ON THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS, I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO WAIT UNTIL AUGUST.
LIMITED DOWNSIDE FROM A STAFFING PERSPECTIVE, AND I THINK WE WOULD GAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND HELP ENSURE THAT AFTER ALL THE HARD WORK WE DID THIS YEAR IN ORDER TO GET US TO A BALANCED BUDGET, THAT WE DON'T INADVERTENTLY DIP INTO A DEFICIT BUDGET BECAUSE WE ARE BANKING ON THE FUNDS FROM AN ASSET SALE IN ORDER TO, IN EFFECT, PAY ANY OF THESE OPTIONS, GIVEN THAT THE SURPLUS IS THE EXACT SAME, MORE OR LESS, AS THE ASSET AMOUNT.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE KELLY AND THEN DIANE AND THEN JENNIFER.
OKAY, I HAD A QUICK QUESTION AGAIN ABOUT SINCE WE'RE LOOKING AT BEING COMPETITIVE WITH OUR SALARIES AND WE HAVE THIS GOAL FOR THAT, WHEN, I KNOW I ASKED YOU THIS BEFORE, WHEN IS THE FIRST ROUND OF THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT? GOING TO UM WHEN WILL WE POSSIBLY SEE START SEEING SOME OF THOSE ALLOTMENTS WE WON'T SEE ANY UM DESIGNATIONS UNTIL THE SPRING BUT THIS SPRING THEN YES OKAY GREAT UM AND THEN BASED ON THAT THEN UM SO I KNOW WHEN WE DO UH YOU SAID IT EARLIER WHEN WE DO A SEVEN IF WE DID A 700 A 700 INCENTIVE BONUS NOW THERE WE DO NOT HAVE TO MAKE ANY PAYMENTS INTO TRS CORRECT SO IF WE DO A RAISE, THOUGH, WE WILL ALSO BE ADDING IN OUR TRS.
AND THEN WITH THE TEACHER RETENTION STIPEND THAT THE STATE HAD SET, DO WE PAY INTO THE TRS FOR THAT? YES, MA'AM.
THAT STIPEND IS PAID OVER THE 12 MONTHS.
SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF.
I MEAN, THEY SET ASIDE THE MONEY AND WE'RE DOING THE STIPENDS.
PORTION OF THAT COME FROM OUR BUDGET OR IS IT BUILT INTO THAT STIPEND? THEY DID NOT ALLOT FOR THEM.
YEAH IT COMES IN OUR BUDGET IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF THE ALLOTMENT THE ABC ALLOTMENT THEY GAVE US A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA SOME OF THESE ADDITIONAL COSTS AND ALSO PROVIDE PAY INCREASES FOR OTHER STAFF THAT WEREN'T ELIGIBLE.
TYPICALLY WASN'T ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER WHAT WE WERE NEEDING TO DO SO BUT THEY DID TRY TO GIVE US SOME MONEY TO HELP WITH THE TRS PORTION BECAUSE DISTRICTS YOU HAVE TO PAY TRS ON THAT.
YOU HAVE TO PAY MEDICARE ON THE $2,500 AND THEN ON $5,000, AND THAT COMES OUT OF THE DISTRICT PORTION.
IT'S SHARED BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEE AND THE DISTRICT ON BOTH.
THERE WERE SOME ADDITIONAL COSTS WITH THOSE FUNDS THAT WERE NOT PART OF THAT $5,000 OR $2,500.
MY APOLOGIES, I CANNOT REMEMBER WHAT THE ABC PART STANDS FOR, BUT ON THE ALLOTMENT, THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HELP DISTRICTS WITH SOME OF THOSE COSTS.
I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF, LIKE, WHEN WE START HAVING THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENTS ADDED TO THE TEACHER'S SALARIES, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, AND DEPENDING ON WHAT WE QUALIFY FOR, THAT WILL ALSO BE AN ADDITIONAL, WE'LL HAVE THAT OTHER EXPENSE FOR THE TRS AS WELL, AND THAT WILL BE ON US.
OR SOME OF THAT FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR THAT, OR NO? I WAS, I'LL LET YOU ANSWER THAT, BUT USUALLY YOU CAN TAKE 10%, THE DISTRICT CAN USE UP TO 10% FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO DESIGNATE THAT WHEN YOU SUBMIT YOUR PLAN.
SO I GUESS MY BIGGEST THING WAS THAT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, AND YOU ANSWERED IT, THAT TRANSPORTATION IS FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
AND THEN SAME THING, LIKE, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE SOME HOURLIES, LIKE CUSTODIANS AND FRONT DESK AND SECURITY AND STUFF.
SO THEY WOULD ALL QUALIFY FOR THE $700 AS WELL? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE OF THE DIFFERENT BUDGET PROPOSALS, I BELIEVE, ON THE DIFFERENT AGENDA ITEMS. IF YOU LOOK
[01:40:02]
AT THE DIFFERENT GENERAL FUNDS, YOU'LL ACTUALLY SEE THAT ON SOME OF THEM THE TRANSPORTATION ACTUALLY DECREASES AND FOOD SERVICE DECREASE FROM ONE TO THE OTHER, AND THAT IS BECAUSE THE 1% PAYMENT OR THE ONE-TIME PAYMENT FOR THEM, FOR THAT EMPLOYEE GROUPS, IS MORE THAN THE 2% RAISE.BECAUSE OF THE SALARY THEY MAKE, A 700 FLAT AMOUNT ON SOMEONE THAT MAKES MAYBE $30,000 TO $40,000 IS A MUCH HIGHER PERCENT THAN 1% OR 2% AS OPPOSED TO SOMEONE TEACHING STAFF MAKING $65,000 TO $70,000 OR SOMEONE HIGHER.
SO, I MEAN, IT LOOKS WEIRD ON THE REPORT, BUT FOR THE EMPLOYEES THAT MAKE A LITTLE BIT LESS MONEY, THAT $700 IS A GREATER PERCENT OF THEIR SALARY THAN OTHER EMPLOYEES.
BUT THEY DO GET THE FULL AMOUNT.
ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE DIANE AND THEN JENNIFER.
I WAS, ONE COMMENT HERE, I WAS TRYING TO DO A LITTLE MATH TO SEE HOW SOME OF THESE OPTIONS MOVED US IN THE NEEDLE OF THE RANKINGS, AND IT DOESN'T DO A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT, EVEN WITH THE 2%.
IF NO ONE ELSE WERE TO MOVE, OUR 15- AND 20-YEAR TEACHERS ARE STILL SITTING AT THE BOTTOM, PRETTY MUCH.
AND THE MOST YOU SEE OF AN INCREASE IS MAYBE TWO SLOTS IN ANY SCENARIO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE FOR FOLKS.
IF WE'RE TRYING TO BE COMPETITIVE, IT DOESN'T, UNFORTUNATELY, DO A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT FOR US.
AND THEN WITH RESPECT TO LAKE TRAVIS BEING OUR LITTLE NEMESIS HERE, I ALSO, DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SPED TEACHERS, LORI? IS THIS A...
COHORT THAT WE LOST MORE OF THAN OTHERS BECAUSE I THOUGHT I HEARD THERE'S MAYBE EVEN A SIGNING BONUS THAT THEY DIPPED INTO BECAUSE THEY WERE MOVING FROM CONTRACTUAL WORK INTO HIRING IN FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION SO I THINK IT WAS JUST A REALLY TOUGH YEAR WITH WHAT WE WERE UP AGAINST THEY DO HAVE SIGNING BONUSES WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T LOSE THAT MANY IF I'M CORRECT.
MAYBE JUST A COUPLE TO LIKE THAT WERE SPED TEACHERS.
YES AND TO ME, THAT LED ON TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THIS ISN'T PART OF THIS EXERCISE TODAY, BUT I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO DOWN THE ROAD BE LOOKING AT OUR STIPENDS ALWAYS.
WAS THERE ANY, IF WE DO 1% OR 2%, DOES THAT IMPACT THE STIPENDS THAT WE GIVE AS WELL, OR IS IT JUST THE BASE SALARIES? SO IN THE PAST, WE HAVE ALWAYS ADDED WHATEVER PERCENTAGE RATE TO OUR STIPENDS.
WE GIVE THAT TO OUR SUBSTITUTES.
OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN DO ANY FORM OF MENU THAT WE WANT AND PICK AND CHOOSE.
YOU KNOW, OUR STIPENDS, I THINK, ARE REALLY HEALTHY COMPARED TO OTHER DISTRICTS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF THIS YEAR WE DECIDED.
FOREGO THAT AND NOT ADD THE STIPEND THE PERCENTAGE TO THE STIPENDS WE COULD DO THAT OKAY BUT FOR THIS THEY ARE BUILT IN OKAY AND HAVE WE HIRED IN MANY TIA TEACHERS BECAUSE THEY DO BRING THEIR BONUSES WITH THEM FROM OTHER DISTRICTS I'M JUST I'M CURIOUS NOT NOT MANY JUST YOU KNOW JUST A FEW I MEAN IT'S STARTING TO CHANGE A LITTLE BIT WITH SURROUNDING DISTRICTS PARTICIPATING IN BUT YOU KNOW THAT HAS NOT BEEN IT THING THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHEN WE'VE HIRED NEW STAFF.
I THINK IT'S UP TO ABOUT 90% OF DISTRICTS THAT ARE NOW ENROLLED.
SO IT'S, TO YOUR POINT, IT'S GOING TO BECOME MORE AND MORE PREVALENT.
OKAY, I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME IN TERMS OF QUESTIONS.
JENNIFER? OKAY, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, BUT FIRST, LORI, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONTEXT THAT YOU INCLUDED IN YOUR PRESENTATION OF PROVIDING COMPENSATION AVERAGES FOR OTHER DISTRICTS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES IN OUR VICINITY THAT ARE NEMESIS, NEMESI, NEMESISES.
WITH RESPECT TO THE CHART THAT YOU SHOWED, THERE WERE TWO.
WAS IT JUST FOR TEACHER POSITIONS, OR WAS IT FOR...
GENERAL ADMIN AND SCHOOL ADMIN STAFF AS WELL AS IT IS ALL LUMPED TOGETHER YES, NORMALLY IF THERE'S ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE PAY IT'S USUALLY LISTED AND SO WE WOULD PUT THAT OUT THEY SAID THAT THEIR TEACHERS WERE GONNA GET 2% BUT MAYBE THEIR HOURLY STAFF WOULD GET YOU KNOW 3% WE WE DO ADD THAT ON THE CHARTS I GUESS I MEAN AND I GUESS I'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE CHART, BUT IF THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS SAYING LIKE AND I WOULD PULL UP ON MY BATTERY STAT.
[01:45:01]
I APOLOGIZE.BUT THEN IF WE GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS ONE.
I GUESS WE'RE NOT TAKING LIKE, WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS WE'RE LOOKING AT TEACHER SALARIES IN ONE SLIDE, AND THEN IN THIS SLIDE WE'RE LOOKING AT COMPENSATION INCREASES FOR ALL POSITIONS, RIGHT? SO I GUESS FOR ME, MY QUESTION IS AROUND THE DATA FEELS INCOMPLETE STILL TO ME.
BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE VOTING ON A BUDGET AND WE'RE LOOKING AT COMPENSATION, WE'RE TAKING EVERYTHING INTO CONSIDERATION, NOT JUST THE TEACHERS, BUT ALL OF THE STAFF THAT MAKES ADMINISTRATION, SCHOOL LEVEL, AND WHATNOT.
SO I DON'T HAVE IN FRONT OF ME OR IN MY NOTES WHAT I WOULD SAY A MEANINGFUL COMPENSATION DATA ANALYSIS FOR THOSE OTHER POSITIONS.
IF WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT TEACHERS, I CAN MAKE A PICTURE ON THAT.
LIKE DIANE POINTED OUT, EVEN WITH THE 2% RAISE, IT'S STILL RANKING OUR 15-YEAR TEACHERS LOW AT THE BOTTOM.
BUT I HAVE NO REFERENCE POINT IN THESE SLIDES, WHAT THAT SAYS ABOUT THE OTHER LINE ITEMS, GENERAL ADMIN AND SCHOOL ADMIN AND WHATNOT, BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALSO MEANINGFUL EXPENSES.
SO JUST GOING BACK TO, FOR ME, JUST HOPING AT SOME POINT, AND I REALIZE WE'RE UNDER A TIGHT...
TIMELINE WITH JUNE 30TH LOOMING, BUT JUST GOING FORWARD TO HAVE THAT OTHER INFORMATION AS WE LOOK AT BUDGETS FOR THE FUTURE, THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR ME TO MAKE, I THINK, A MORE INFORMED DECISION, UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE SIT COMPENSATION-WISE FOR ALL OF THOSE, NOT JUST...
LOOK REALLY DIFFERENT THAN THE TEACHERS.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT THE SAME, THERE'S THAT PROVIDE THAT FOR EVERY POSITION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE A LOT OF DATA FOR YOU TO SEE FOR 13 SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BUT BECAUSE YOU WOULD BE LOOKING AT LET'S SAY ONE CAMPUS SECRETARY VERSUS SHOW APPLES TO APPLES IN THOSE ROLES.
THINGS SO MAYBE WHAT WE CAN GET SOME INFORMATION FOR THE WE WE WILL BE SHOWING YOU LORI AND PETE AND I ARE WORKING ON BUDDY OF THE TOP 50 HIGHEST HIGH-PERFORMING WON'T JUST BE LOOKING AT TEXAS ADMINISTRATOR SALARY RANGES IN THE FUTURE WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ALL THE TOP HIGH-PERFORMING SCHOOLS IN AMERICA AND I THINK WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THOSE RANGES IS SOME INTERESTING DATA SO WE WILL BE PROVIDING YOU WITH THAT IN THE FUTURE.
THAT'S A STUDY THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
I THINK TO LORI'S POINT ALSO ABOUT CLASSIFIED STAFF MEMBERS AND HOW THEY'RE TITLED AND WHAT THEY'RE PAID, I THINK WE CAN PROVIDE SOME COLOR TO THAT FOR SURE AND SHOW YOU WHAT THE TRENDS LOOK LIKE.
AND I'LL JUST USE BUS DRIVERS AS AN EXAMPLE.
EVERYBODY'S IN A BATTLE TO RECRUIT BUS DRIVERS AND HAVE A COMPETITIVE SALARY AND MAYBE SOME INCENTIVES TO TRY TO RECRUIT AND HIRE.
AND SO YOU'LL FIND THAT THOSE RANGES ARE ALSO VERY COMPARABLE AND VERY TIGHT ACROSS DISTRICTS THAT HAVE FLEETS LIKE OURS.
BUT THOSE ARE THINGS WE CAN WORK ON.
THIS QUESTION ACTUALLY IS A MICROCOSM OF A BIGGER QUESTION, WHICH IS IF WE GO BACK TO THE SLIDE THAT IS FOCUSING ON OPTION ONE, NO INCREASE.
I THINK IT'S THE NEXT ONE, PATTY.
OH, IT'S COMING UP REALLY SOON.
IT SHOWS THAT WE, YES, OPTION ONE, SORRY, YES.
OKAY, IT SHOWS, YOU KNOW, LIKE JOHN, I TOO AM VERY WORRIED ABOUT BEING IN THE RED IMMINENTLY.
AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, THOUGH, OPTION ONE, WITH NO COMPENSATION INCREASE, IT SHOWS US BACK IN THE RED AGAIN AS SOON AS NEXT YEAR AND THEN SUBSEQUENT YEAR.
AND ALTHOUGH I THINK WE'RE KEEPING REVENUES.
STUDY JUST TO BE CONSERVATIVE.
THAT HAS ME QUESTIONING, I GUESS, EVERYTHING ABOUT
[01:50:01]
EXPENSES AND THE LINE ITEMS UNDER EXPENSES AND HOPING THAT WITH YOU AT THE HELM NOW WE CAN GET MORE GRANULARITY FOR SPECIFIC THINGS.I WANT A BINDER AS BIG AS THIS ROOM, IF POSSIBLE, THAT OUTLINES FOR ME, LIKE, WHAT IS A MISCELLANEOUS OPERATING EXPENSE, RIGHT? CAN YOU GIVE EXAMPLES? I'M NOT SAYING WE NEED TO GO BACK TO, IS IT ZERO COST ACCOUNT? BUT, RIGHT, I MEAN, THAT MIGHT BE TOO BOLD, BUT WE'VE GOT TO, I THINK, CREATIVELY, AND I THINK THE MINDS ARE IN THIS ROOM COLLECTIVELY WHERE WE CAN LOOK FOR WAYS, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS DO OR DIE AND WE HAD TO LOOK FOR 10% OR 15% SAVINGS ACROSS THE BOARD IN OUR EXPENSES, WHERE WOULD WE FIND IT? AND SO, AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE AS SOMEBODY NEW TO THE BOARD, EXTREMELY NEW, VERY GREEN, WITH MUCH TO LEARN, I JUST FEEL LIKE I'M MAKING A DECISION.
IMMINENTLY WITH VERY MINIMAL DATA AND THAT'S CHALLENGING.
I'VE SAT IN YOUR NEW BOARD MEMBER.
IT'S EXCITING AND I WAS A CFO.
WE ARE DEFINITELY IN EVERY DISTRICT.
OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO GO FAST TONIGHT.
BUT THERE WILL BE MUCH MORE CONVERSATIONS.
LET'S LOOK AT WHAT EANS ISD DOES AND HOW WE LOOK AT HOW DO WE BE, ARE THERE OTHER WAYS WHERE WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT? STILL HAVE THE STUDENT OUTCOMES AND THE STUDENT EXPERIENCES THAT WE WANT.
AND ARE THERE WAYS, AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT COIN, IS I DON'T WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU A BIG BINDER ON EXPENSES.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU A BIG BINDER ON EXPENSES AND REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES.
I MEAN, THERE'S TWO SIDES OF THIS CALCULATION.
SO ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, FOR NAMING RIGHTS? ARE THERE SOME? OPPORTUNITIES, WE HAVE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, TO DO SOME PROPERTY VALUE APPEALS AND POTENTIALLY GET SOME FUNDS IN THE FUTURE.
IT'S ONE-TIME FUNDS, BUT IF IT'S OUT THERE, LET'S GO GET IT.
AND WHAT DO WE DO WITH THOSE FUNDS WHEN THEY COME IN, AND HOW DO WE BEST USE THOSE FUNDS TO BENEFIT ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND MEET OUR RETENTION GOALS AND MEET OUR GOALS OF TRYING TO MOVE UP THAT $57,000 UP TO $58,500 AND THEN UP TO $60,000 AND THEN GET TO WHERE WE'RE IN THE TOP FIVE.
BECAUSE A LOT OF EMPLOYEES DON'T WORK IN OUR DISTRICT.
AND THEY DRIVE THROUGH TWO OR THREE DISTRICTS TO GET TO US, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING CARE OF THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
AND THAT'S HOW DO WE ALLOCATE THE, I WOULD SAY, ARE YOU LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND THAT WE'RE IN THE SITUATION WITH STATE FUNDING PARTICULARLY.
BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP MINIMIZE, INCREASE THE REVENUE A LITTLE BIT.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CTE IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT GIVES YOU MORE WATER.
I MEAN, BASICALLY, IT'S BASIC LAW, BUT AT TIMES WATER.
I MEAN, THAT'S 90% OF YOUR BUDGET RIGHT THERE.
I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ON THE BASIC ALLOTMENT, BUT ARE THERE SOME THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP GET THAT WATER NUMBER A LITTLE HIGHER? THAT WILL HELP.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT TO DO, AND THERE'S NO ONE MAGIC.
I PROMISE YOU, THERE'S NO ONE MAGIC THING.
IF THERE WAS, I WOULD HAVE ALREADY FIGURED IT OUT.
I FEEL QUITE COMFORTABLE IN MY ABILITIES IF IT WAS THAT.
BUT IF WE CAN GET FOUR OR FIVE THINGS AT A LITTLE BIT, THOSE THINGS ADD UP TO GET US TO THE POINT TO WHERE WE CAN HAVE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION A YEAR FROM NOW, WHERE WE'RE LIKE.
I DON'T KNOW, DO WE GET TWO OR TWO AND A HALF? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'D RATHER HAVE THAT CONVERSATION THAN HAVE THE OTHER ONE.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M BANKING ON, PUN INTENDED.
AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, LORI, JOHN ASKED THE QUESTION EARLIER, HE POSED WAITING UNTIL AUGUST WHEN WE HAVE MORE DATA AROUND THE STAFF RETURNING OR NOT.
I ASKED THIS QUESTION, I THINK, AT THE LAST MEETING.
I'M GOING TO ASK IT AGAIN BECAUSE I'M HOPING THE NUMBERS ARE EVEN MORE ACCURATE.
DO YOU HAVE A ROUGH RANGE, EITHER BY PERCENTAGE OR ABSOLUTE NUMBER OF TEACHERS THAT YOU'RE STILL WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM IF THEY'RE COMING BACK? SO HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WE STILL? NO, ALL CONTRACTS ARE SIGNED, BUT THEY HAVE UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO RESIGN PENALTY.
I MEAN, THE STATE PENALTY IS, WE TYPICALLY LET PEOPLE IF THEY ARE WANTING, THEY DO HAVEN'T, 90 DAYS BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL TO.
WHICH IS JUNE WHAT? SORRY, 45 DAYS.
NO, IT'S AROUND JULY THE 4TH WEEK ALWAYS.
[01:55:01]
SO AFTER JUNE 30TH.ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS ON THE BUDGET TOPIC? JAMES.
GLANCING BACK THROUGH THE BUDGET WE APPROVED LAST YEAR AND I BELIEVE THAT AT THE TIME WE APPROVED A 7.1 MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT BUDGET AND YOUR SLIDE SHOWED THAT WE ENDED UP WITH A FOUR MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET DEFICIT AT THE TIME THERE WAS SOME HB2 THERE WERE SOME CHANGES THAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT IN MY EXPERIENCE OF HAVING SAT ON THIS BOARD FOR SO MANY YEARS EIGHT SEVEN YEARS WE HAVE PASSED BUDGETS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS HOW MANY TIMES HAS THE BUDGET THAT WE PASSED EQUALED THE BUDGET WE ENDED UP WITH? ZERO.
TWICE IT'S HAPPENED THAT WE PASSED A BUDGET AND IT WENT THE WRONG, IT WENT BAD.
AND ONE WAS COVID, I BELIEVE, AND ONE WAS THE STATE CHANGED THE FUNDING MODEL.
YOU SAID THAT EVEN IN THIS BUDGET, THERE'S PROBABLY, AND WE DON'T NEED TO BANK ON IT, WE DON'T NEED TO SPEND IT, BUT THERE'S PROBABLY SOME MONEY BECAUSE OF THE WAY EMPLOYMENT WORKS, THAT YOU LOSE SOMEONE AND YOU DON'T HIRE THE NEXT PERSON TOMORROW, SO YOU DON'T PAY THEM.
I ABSOLUTELY WANT A BALANCED BUDGET.
I ACTUALLY WANT TO BUILD UP OUR FUND BALANCE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO AIM FOR THAT.
I THINK THAT IT'S CONTRARY TO THOSE WHO SAY THEY WANT TO MAKE OUR PAY THE BEST IN THE STATE.
I THINK THOSE ARE CONTRARY TO EACH OTHER, SADLY, RIGHT NOW.
IF THE BASIC ALLOTMENT CHANGED, GUESS WHAT? IT CHANGES FOR EVERYONE.
SO WE WOULD BE RIGHT THERE COMPETING WITH THE, IN FACT, IT DOESN'T EVEN CHANGE THE SAME FOR EVERYONE.
THEY TEND TO GIVE MORE MONEY TO LOW-INCOME, FAST-GROWTH DISTRICTS, WHICH WE ARE NOT AND HAVEN'T BEEN FOR 30 YEARS.
IT'S REALLY GOOD TO SAY THOSE THINGS, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY TOUGH TO DO BOTH OF THOSE.
SO HAVING SAID THAT, I WANT A BALANCED BUDGET.
I ALSO WANT US TO DO SOMETHING FOR TEACHERS NOW.
AND I DO THINK THAT WE CAN COME BACK AND REVISIT.
SO MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO NOW.
AND THEN I THINK WE'RE WAITING FOR SOME NEWS ON SPED.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SPED FUNDING.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE WON'T REALLY HAVE A FINAL FIGURE UNTIL AUGUST OF 27. I GUESS MY POINT IS, WHAT'S GOING TO CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND...
AND AUGUST OF 26 THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT WHEN WE REVISIT THIS? THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD CHANGE IS POTENTIALLY IF THAT LAND SALE WAS FINALIZED PRIOR TO THAT AUGUST DATE.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD CHANGE THAT WOULD AFFECT THE BUDGET.
AND TAV WOULD A LITTLE BIT IF IT CHANGED BECAUSE OF THE GOLDEN PENNIES.
YEAH, IF THE TAV CAME IN HIGHER.
I MEAN, THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD AFFECT THAT WAS IF THE TAV CAME IN HIGHER THAN WHAT WE HAD, IT WOULD GET A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT GOLD PENNY YIELD.
SO WE CAN PUNT THIS CONVERSATION AND HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION BASED ON THE SAME DATA IN TWO MONTHS? IT WOULD BE VERY SIMILAR DATA, YES.
LIKE I SAID, THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD BE WAS IF THE DISTRICT SOLD PROPERTY OR THAT CONTRACT WAS SIGNED WITHIN THAT WINDOW.
I JUST DON'T THINK WE SHOULD LEAVE PEOPLE IN LIMBO.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE HUGE CHANGES EITHER IF WE DO, BUT THIS BOARD IS NOT GOING TO GET, THESE NUMBERS ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY BETWEEN NOW AND, SO I SEE NO REASON TO WAIT.
ALL RIGHT, JOHN, YOU RAISED YOUR HAND.
SO, SO LAST TIME I FOCUSED ON MY DESIRE AND I'LL.
I THINK WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TO LOSE BECAUSE OTHER DISTRICTS, A LOT OF THEM ARE WAITING.
AND I THINK BY AUGUST, WE'LL KNOW FOR SURE IF, WELL, WE SHOULD KNOW FOR SURE IF THIS ASSET SALE IS HAPPENING.
I DON'T THINK A CONTRACT IS FINAL UNTIL IT'S SIGNED BY BOTH PARTIES AND SO WE'LL KNOW IF THAT'S CERTAIN OR NOT AND THEN WE'LL KNOW IT TAV AND LIKE YOU SAID NOT LIKELY TO CHANGE IT MUCH BUT IF IT COMES IN SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IT COULD BUT FOR ME THE REAL REASON IS THE THE PROPERTY BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BANK ON THAT AND HAVE WORKED AND DONE SO MUCH WORK OVER THIS LAST YEAR AND THEN IF SOMETHING HAPPENS WE'VE NOW COMMITTED TO STAFF AND WE'RE IN THE RED NOW YOU ALL HEARD ME AT THE LAST MEETING.
[02:00:01]
OF MY BROADER THOUGHTS.SO WHAT I WANT TO BE DOING, I WANT TO BE IN THAT SPOT YOU TALKED ABOUT, PETE, WHICH IS A YEAR FROM NOW.
WE'RE GOING, BOY, TWO, MAYBE WE CAN SQUEEZE OUT TWO AND A HALF.
WHAT CAN WE DO? AND WE TRY TO START CLAWING BACK UP TO BEING TOWARDS THE TOP OF THAT, THOSE CHARTS THAT YOU SHOWED.
I THINK TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE.
AND I LOOK HERE AT, IN ONE YEAR ALONE, WE'VE TAKEN 5% OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE DATA TONIGHT AS TO WHERE WE WERE BEFORE THAT, BUT I THINK IT WAS, IF I'M RECALLING CORRECTLY, IT WAS AROUND 30, 31% FUND BALANCE THE YEAR BEFORE.
I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA, SO IF SOMEBODY DOES HAVE THAT, PLEASE FACT CHECK ME ON IT.
BUT AT MINIMUM, WE DROPPED 5% IN THIS LAST YEAR, BECAUSE THAT IS IN THE...
I RECALL IT WAS A DEFICIT BUDGET THE YEAR BEFORE, AND SO I DO KNOW WE WERE HIGHER THAN 28% BEFORE BECAUSE IT WAS DEFINITIVELY A DEFICIT BUDGET THE YEAR BEFORE THAT.
SO WE HAVE BEEN PULLING FROM THE FUND BALANCE.
EVERY ONE OF THE SCENARIOS THAT WE HAVE PROJECTED HERE INVOLVES DROPPING BELOW THE 25% STANDARD IN FUTURE YEARS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T IS IF WE DO THE 0%.
AND IT KEEPS US AT THE 25% FOR ONE YEAR, AND THEN WE'RE RIGHT BACK BELOW THE 25%, AND 27, AND 28, AND 28, AND 29.
SO WE, TO JENNIFER'S POINT, WE STILL HAVE SOME STRUCTURAL THINGS WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
AND I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT OUR STAFF.
AND I THINK WE WANT TO PAY OUR STAFF WELL, BECAUSE THEY DO HARD WORK, AND THEY MATTER.
AND IT MATTERS FOR ATTRACTING THE TOP TALENT.
IT MATTERS FOR RETAINING TOP TALENT.
I CAN TELL YOU STAFF ALSO WANT STABILITY.
THEY WANT TO KNOW, DO I HAVE A JOB? AM I AT RISK OF GETTING CUT? SO IT'S NOT JUST RAISES.
IT'S AM I AT RISK OF GETTING CUT? DO I HAVE A JOB IN THE FUTURE? WHEN YOU EAT INTO THE FUND BALANCE, YOU PUT THEIR VERY EMPLOYMENT AT RISK.
BECAUSE AT SOME POINT YOU THEN HAVE TO START CUTTING IN ORDER TO KEEP IT ABOVE WHERE IT SHOULD BE SO I DON'T WANT TO COME OUT AND SAY STAFF ONLY CARE ABOUT RAISES THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT STAFF CARES ABOUT RAISING STAFF ALSO CARES ABOUT CONSISTENT EMPLOYMENT AND I THINK WE HAVE DONE SOME GREAT WORK TO BE LAUDED THIS YEAR AND I DON'T WANT TO AND THAT THAT PUTS THE WRONG SPIN ON IT BECAUSE IT'S ALSO BEEN PAINFUL WORK.
IT HAS BEEN HARD WORK AND IT HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON OUR STAFF.
BUT IT HAD TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE DISTRICT IS IN A FINANCIALLY HEALTHY SPOT.
AND IN ORDER TO START TO TURN THE CORNER SO THAT A YEAR FROM NOW WE ARE HAVING THE CONVERSATION THAT PETE ALLUDED TO, WHERE HOPEFULLY WE'RE DEBATING HOW BIG OF A RAISE WE CAN GIVE.
SO I WOULD POSIT THAT THE BEST THING FOR STAFF TO DO.
THE WAY TO BEST SERVE STAFF AT THIS TIME IS TO NOT GIVE THE RAISE.
THAT IS WHAT I PERSONALLY THINK IS THE BEST WAY OF HONORING STAFF.
AND I KNOW THAT SOUNDS COUNTERINTUITIVE, BUT IT HELPS BRING STABILITY TO AN EMPLOYER, AND IT HELPS ENSURE THAT WE CAN THEN DO MORE THIS COMING YEAR SO THAT WE HAVE A SMALLER STAFF THAT WE REWARD REALLY WELL, AND WE TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF THEM, AND WE INVEST IN THEM.
AND WE MADE SOME OF THOSE TOUGH DECISIONS THIS YEAR.
I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FORECASTED YEARS, IT'S CLEAR WE STILL HAVE SOME MORE WORK TO DO.
BUT I'M HOPING TO ROUND THAT CORNER VERY QUICKLY AND THEN START INVESTING HEAVILY IN STAFF NEXT YEAR.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THE REST OF THE BOARD THOUGHT OF IT, BUT WHEN I WAS THINKING OF THE $1.5 MILLION ASSET SALE, PART OF THAT MONEY WAS TO HELP COVER WHAT WE HAD TO DO WITH WACWA WITH THE EANES AQUATIC CENTER.
SO IN MY OPINION, SOME OF THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SPENT.
AND I REALIZE IT FALLS ACROSS TWO FISCAL YEARS, AND SO IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S BEEN SPENT BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING IT IN THE UPCOMING YEAR.
BUT WE SPENT EXTRA MONEY THIS PAST YEAR TO FINISH UP WITH THE EANES AQUATIC CENTER.
SO IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, WE ALREADY SPENT SOME OF THE $1.5 ASSOCIATED WITH THE ASSET SALE.
AND WE HAD A $4 MILLION DEFICIT THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE MILLION-DOLLAR DEFICITS FORECASTED IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
[02:05:01]
BEFORE AS WELL.WE'VE BEEN EATING INTO THE FUND BALANCE SIGNIFICANTLY, AND I THINK WE NEED TO BRING STABILITY TO THE...
NOW, WHAT I WILL SAY IS, LIKE I SAID, I WANT TO WAIT TILL AUGUST.
BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE WHAT'S GOING TO COME BACK WITH THE TAV.
AND SO MAYBE WE'D BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING.
BUT I WILL ALSO SAY THAT I PERSONALLY HESITATE PAYING FOR, I HESITATE SELLING LONG-TERM ASSETS TO PAY FOR STAFF COMPENSATION.
TO ME, YOU PAY FOR STAFF COMPENSATION THROUGH REVENUE, NOT THROUGH ASSET SALES.
AND YOU TRY TO DO THAT IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY.
SELLING AN ASSET THAT THE DISTRICT HAS HAD FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AND THEN TURNING AROUND AND SPENDING ALL OF IT THROUGH FINISHING UP THE EAMES AQUATIC CENTER AND THROUGH A ONE-TIME BONUS AND THEN ALL THE FUNDS OF IT ARE GONE IN ONE YEAR.
TO ME, I THINK THE MORE PRUDENT THING TO DO IS INVEST IN PUTTING IT BACK INTO THE FUND BALANCE IN ORDER TO POSITION US TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE COMP-WISE FOR STAFF IN THE FUTURE.
NOW I'M AN OPTIMIST AND I ALWAYS HOPE THINGS COME IN BETTER, WHICH IS WHY I WAS SAYING, HEY, WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION TODAY.
LET'S WAIT TWO MONTHS AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
AND IF FOR SOME REASON THE TAV COMES IN BETTER, I WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY, THAT'S REVENUE.
THAT'S A CHANGE IN REVENUE, NOT FROM AN ASSET SALE, BUT A CHANGE IN ACTUAL REVENUE THROUGH GOLDEN PENNIES.
SO I WOULD BE MORE INTRIGUED AND FEEL LIKE THAT IS A FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE WAY TO DO IT.
SO THAT'S MY PERSONAL OPINION.
I DON'T THINK THE DECISION HAS TO BE DONE TODAY, AND WE'D HAVE MORE INFORMATION AT ALL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO LOOK AT IT.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR THESE VERY INFORMATIVE.
PETE, I AM EXCITED FOR YOU TO JOIN US BECAUSE I HAVE IN DEPTH AT THE LEANDER WEB PAGE AND ALL OF THE REPORTS AND INFORMATION THAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE TRANSPARENCY AROUND THE BUS HERE GOING FORWARD.
THIS IS SITTING OVER HERE AND LISTENING TO EVERYBODY TALK.
IT'S JUST SUCH A HARD DECISION.
AND THE LORI, THE PRESENTATION WHERE WE SIT WITH OUR.
I MEAN, ESPECIALLY OUR 10, 15-YEAR, 20-YEAR TEACHER SALARIES WHO ARE OUR MOST TENURED, MOST EXPERIENCED, KNOW OUR KIDS, KNOW OUR DISTRICT.
I MEAN, THIS IS SO CONCERNING THAT WE'RE SITTING SO LOW IN THOSE AREAS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL STRUGGLING.
AND I SEE BOTH THE POINTS, I THINK, THAT WE'RE STRUGGLING BETWEEN PULLING THE TRIGGER.
TONIGHT OR WAITING UM I THINK THAT I WOULD I THINK I'M GOING TO WEIGH IN ON THE SIDE OF WAITING UNTIL AUGUST BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE UM IT'S BEST TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS WHEN YOU'RE YOU'RE YOU'RE FULLY INFORMED AND WE'RE WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT UM UH YOU KNOW PAPER IS WHERE EVEN THOUGH I JUST ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IT IS HOPEFUL TO SEE THE MEMBERS OF THE STAFF, THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, AND KIRK HERE, WE'RE ALL FOCUSED ON NOT, YOU KNOW, A ONE BUDGET, BUT TO ALSO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REALLY HELP FOCUS ON COMPENSATION, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR MOST TENURED, AND THAT'S AN UPHILL BATTLE SO FAR.
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO THIS COMING YEAR TO TRY AND CHIP AWAY AT THAT DIFFERENCE THERE.
DIANE? I'LL TRY TO BE QUICK HERE.
YOU MENTIONED SOMEWHERE IN THERE ABOUT THE FIRST RATINGS AND ABOUT HOW THEY'VE CHANGED THE GUIDELINES FOR PARAMETER NUMBER SIX.
AND THEY'VE CHANGED IT FROM 90 DAYS TO 75 DAYS FOR THE FUND BALANCE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE INSIGHT INTO WHY THEY DID THAT? DO THEY TRULY FEEL LIKE HOLDING A 75-DAY FUND BALANCE IS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND THAT THIS NEW, I THINK YOU SAID 20.55% IS ACTUALLY A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE BAR? IS THAT WHY THE STATE CHANGED THIS?
[02:10:01]
I CAN'T SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE STATE, BUT I CAN GIVE YOU MY OPINION.NO, I FIRMLY BELIEVE IF YOU LOOK AT WHEN THAT WAS DONE, WHEN THEY WENT FROM THE 90 TO THE 75, IT WAS WHEN FUNDING WAS GETTING TIGHT FOR SCHOOLS.
AND SO I THINK THEY FELT THAT IT WAS A REPRIEVE TO DISTRICTS, SO THEY WEREN'T NOT THEY WERE GETTING MORE POINTS, SO THEY WEREN'T FAILING THAT INDICATOR.
I MEAN, THAT'S I MEAN, THERE HAS BEEN NO STUDY THAT CAME OUT AND SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, 20% JUST AS GOOD AS 25.
I DON'T THINK IT WAS A DECISION.
THAT WAS BASED ON BEST PRACTICE.
I THINK IT WAS A DECISION BASED ON TRYING TO GET MORE, AS MANY SCHOOLS TO BE ABLE TO EARN AS MANY POINTS ON THAT INDICATOR OR PASS THE SCHOOL FIRST.
THAT'S JUST PETE POFFEY THINKING OUT LOUD.
THE BAR'S BEING RAISED IN SO MANY OTHER AREAS, AND HERE IT'S BEING LOWERED.
WELL, I MIGHT DIG INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE MEANTIME, BUT I THINK TO YOUR POINT, KATE, YOU SAID IT WELL.
WE'RE REALLY STUCK HERE BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A DIFFICULT DECISION, BUT WE DON'T HAVE INK ON PAPER.
AND I JUST, BASED ON WHAT I'M HEARING FROM SOME OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED, I FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER HOLDING AND MAKING THIS DECISION WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE ANALYSIS, THOUGH.
JENNIFER, AND THEN KELLY, AND THEN I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
I GUESS THIS IS JUST A POINT FOR CLARITY.
IF WE WERE TO HOLD, AND TONIGHT WE HAVE TO VOTE ON A BUDGET SCENARIO, OPTION ONE, TWO, OR THREE AS PRESENTED.
IF WE WERE TO VOTE, IF OPTION ONE, LET'S SAY, WERE TO WIN, AND WE'RE WAITING UNTIL AUGUST IN THE WAKE OF NEW INFORMATION, INK ON PAPER, ET CETERA.
ARE WE IN AGREEMENT OR IS THERE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IN AUGUST WE WOULD BE VOTING ON THE ONE-TIME BUMP IN COMPENSATION THAT WE'RE DEFERRING RIGHT NOW TO VOTE ON? OR IS THAT I'M JUST A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED ON IF WE'RE WAITING UNTIL AUGUST, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN AUGUST.
IS THAT WHAT SO WE WOULD SET AN AGENDA ITEM IN AUGUST TO APPROVE COMPENSATION AND THEN AT THAT POINT DEPENDING ON IF IT CHANGED WHAT WE APPROVED TODAY FOR THE BUDGET, PETE I'M GOING TO STEAL SOME OF YOUR THUNDER, WE WOULD ALSO NEED TO APPROVE AN AMENDED BUDGET THAT INCLUDED DEPENDING ON WHAT WE VOTED ON.
WHATEVER THE COMPENSATION APPROVAL WAS.
WE ALSO COULD, IF WE WANTED, WE COULD MAKE A MOTION AND VOTE TONIGHT AND OFFICIALLY PLACE IT ON THE AGENDA ON THE 18TH IN THIS MOMENT WHILE WE'RE RIGHT HERE AT THE DAIS.
IF WE CAN DO THAT, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.
WAS THAT IT, JENNIFER? OKAY, KELLY.
OKAY, SO I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH JAMES THAT BECAUSE THE NUMBERS, AS WE DISCUSSED, THE NUMBERS WON'T CHANGE THAT SIGNIFICANTLY BY AUGUST, AND BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE TEACHERS STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, OR ANY STAFF HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK OTHER EMPLOYMENT.
I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GREAT TIME.
FOR US TO GO FORWARD WITH OPTION TWO WITH OUR $700 ONE-TIME PAYMENT FOR ALL STAFF.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE SOME OF THE STAFF THAT I NAMED, LIKE OUR SECURITY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE DIFFERENT CAMPUSES AND OUR TRANSPORTATION AND OUR CUSTODIANS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG AS WELL, IT'S JUST REALLY GOOD TO MAKE SURE WE'RE RETAINING ALL THOSE PERSONS.
AND I JUST FEEL SUPER COMMITTED TO OUR STAFF.
AND VERY COMMITTED TO OUR, AS A BOARD, THAT WE SAID WE WOULD LIKE TO RETAIN AND RECRUIT TOP TALENT.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE FUNDS, AND IT WOULD STILL KEEP US AT A VERY GOOD PLACE WITH OUR BALANCE, AND THE NUMBERS AREN'T THAT DIFFERENT.
I THINK IT WOULD, IN MY OPINION, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE VOTE TODAY.
[02:15:02]
THANK YOU, KELLY.I'M GOING TO PARAPHRASE WHAT A FORMER TRUSTEE ONCE SAID, BECAUSE I THINK IT HOLDS TRUE FOR THIS CONVERSATION.
IT'S, HAS SOMEBODY ON A DAIS SAID SOMETHING THAT NEEDED TO BE SAID? AND WAS THERE SOMETHING THAT AS AN INDIVIDUAL YOU FELT LIKE SHOULD BE SAID THAT WASN'T SAID BY SOMEBODY ELSE? AND IF NOT, DOES IT NEED TO BE SAID BY YOU.
AND SO I FEEL LIKE I'VE LISTENED.
I DON'T WANT TO REPEAT ANYTHING THAT ANYONE ELSE SAID, BUT I STILL THINK THAT THERE'S SOME THINGS TO ADD TO THIS CONVERSATION THAT HAVEN'T BEEN SAID.
ONE OF THEM WAS, AND I HINTED TO IT BEFORE, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DELAY THE VOTE ON STAFF COMPENSATION, AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN AUGUST? ON THE FINANCE SIDE, YOU HAVE STAFF THAT WON'T KNOW WHAT THE RAISE IS, WHETHER THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE OR NOT.
YOU HAVE A WEEK OR SO UNTIL THE 45 DAYS COME UP.
SECOND, WE WILL KNOW TAV AND WE WILL KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THAT DISTRICT PROPERTY HAS SOLD OR NOT.
AND IT MAY NOT HAVE, I DON'T KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S, IF IT HAS WE'LL KNOW BY WHAT THE AMOUNT IS, RIGHT, WHAT THE CONTRACTED AMOUNT IS.
OTHER THAN THAT, I DON'T THINK ANYTHING ELSE CHANGES IN THE BUDGET.
I MEAN, WE KNOW, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS TYPICALLY THAT WE DON'T USE THAT WE BUDGET IN PAYROLL, AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE OF TRANSITION.
OR MAYBE WE BUDGET ON AN AVERAGE MIDPOINT SALARY, AND OUR AVERAGE SALARY IS A LITTLE BIT BELOW THAT.
BUT THAT'S THE ONLY REALLY THREE VARIABLES THAT I SEE.
SO, AGAIN, YOU COULD PASS A BUDGET TONIGHT.
YOU COULD PUT IN THAT MOTION THAT YOU'LL REVISIT IT ON AUGUST 18TH. YOU CAN BECAUSE IF IT'S A ONE-TIME PAYMENT, TECHNICALLY YOU NEED TO ADOPT A COMPENSATION PLAN.
IF IT WAS A PERCENT INCREASE BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF INSTRUCTION, BEFORE THE TEACHERS REPORT ON THEIR CONTRACTS.
SINCE WE'RE NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT A PERCENT RAISE, WE'RE EITHER TALKING ZERO OR A FLAT AMOUNT, AND THE ONE-TIME PAYMENT IS NOT TRS ELIGIBLE, THAT CAN BE DONE AT ANY TIME LATER ON.
IF WE WERE DISCUSSING A 1% OR 2%, I WOULD SAY...
WE EITHER NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER CALLED MEETING ON THAT OR DO THAT IN JULY ON THE COMPENSATION PIECE BEFORE THE TEACHERS COME BACK.
THAT'S NOT RELEVANT TO THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING A FLAT AMOUNT, AND IT'S NOT TRS ELIGIBLE.
SO I THINK ALL SAID AND DONE, WE WILL KNOW TAV IF IT DOES GO UP.
THE GOAL PENNY YIELD MAY GO UP A LITTLE BIT.
BUT YOU'RE TALKING A DISTRICT.
SO IF OUR TAV GOES UP ENOUGH THAT IT ADDS UP A COUPLE DOLLARS TO THE GOLD PENNY YIELD, I MEAN, IT'S A COUPLE DOLLARS TIMES 10,000.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT TO GET TO A POINT TO WHERE IT WOULD CHANGE THE FLAT AMOUNT THAT WE WOULD HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT.
THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TECHNICALLY THAT SAYS YOU COULDN'T COME BACK AND DO ANOTHER ONE SIX MONTHS LATER.
AGAIN, YOU'RE NOT BOUND BY THE CONTRACT PIECE BECAUSE IT'S NOT A PERCENT RAISE.
SO YOU ALWAYS HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY DURING ANY TIME OF THE YEAR.
IF THE DISTRICT CAME INTO ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR WHATEVER HOST OF REASONS, YOU COULD DO THAT.
BUT LOOKING AT STRICTLY IN AUGUST, TAV COMES BACK HIGHER, GOLD PENNY YIELD GOES UP, WE GET A LITTLE MORE REVENUE, OR IT GOES DOWN AND WE GET A LITTLE LESS REVENUE.
AND THEN WHETHER OR NOT THE PROPERTY HAS, WE HAVE AN INK DRY ON THE, WE HAVE A CONTRACT.
AND THEN WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR TYPICAL IN OUR PAYROLL CUSHION ON AVERAGE IS ABOUT A MILLION.
SO WITH THOSE THREE THINGS, I THINK THE BOARD SHOULD, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN MAKE ANY DECISION BASED ON ANY OF THOSE THREE SCENARIOS.
BUT YOU HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY ON THIS ONE.
BUT THE PERCEPTION, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THERE'S THE NUMBERS AND THERE'S ALSO THE PERCEPTION, RIGHT? BUT I THINK $700, YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH THAT'S GOING TO MAKE SOMEONE JUMP SHIP, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ANYBODY.
I DON'T KNOW EVERYBODY'S SITUATION.
YOU KNOW, I WISH THERE WERE MORE, BUT ALL THINGS BEING CONSIDERED, IT COULD BE DONE IN AUGUST, IT COULD BE DONE TONIGHT.
AND THEN FROM A PROCEDURAL STANDPOINT, WE WOULD ALSO THEN BE ADOPTING AN AMENDED BUDGET PENDING THE DECISION ON COMPENSATION.
YOU COULD DO THE OPTION ONE, WHICH IS A 0% RAISE.
AND THEN IF WE WERE TO COME BACK IN AUGUST, AND YOU COULD PUT IN YOUR MOTION, YOU KNOW, WE ADOPT OPTION ONE.
TO COME BACK ON AUGUST 18TH, YOU CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION ON A ONE-TIME PAYMENT.
YOU CAN DELEGATE AUTHORITY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT TO DO THAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF YOU HAVE A LOT
[02:20:01]
OF OPPORTUNITIES AS THE BOARD TO DO WHAT YOU FEEL IS BEST.I WAS JUST THINKING IF WE'RE POSTPONING A DECISION UNTIL AUGUST, THEN WHATEVER THE COMPENSATION DECISION IMPACTS THE BUDGET SO WOULD WE ALSO BE AMENDING THAT BUDGET TO GO TO COINCIDE WITH WHATEVER THE INCREASE MAY BE WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND OR JUST MY TWO CENTS WOULD BE TO IF YOU WERE TO DO OPTION ONE INCLUDE THEN IF WE HAVE A CONTRACT THAT GETS SIGNED IN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO, YOU COME BACK AUGUST 18TH, WE DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO INCREASE THE REVENUE BY THAT AMOUNT AND THEN BUILD IN THE ONE-TIME PAYMENT ON THE EXPENSE SIDE.
SO, LORI, YOU ALSO PRESENTED WHAT OUR NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS IN THE COMPETITIVE AREA OF AUSTIN AND CENTRAL TEXAS IS DOING AS FAR AS WHAT THEY'RE GIVING FOR RAISES.
ARE THOSE KNOWN? HAVE THEIR TRUSTEES VOTED, OR IS IT THEIR? THEIR PROPOSAL, AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVEN'T VOTED YET.
DO YOU KNOW? THE MAJORITY OF THEM HAVE VOTED BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE SAME PLACE WHERE WE ARE, WHERE THEY'RE ADOPTING BUDGETS.
ALL RIGHT, SO, FOR EXAMPLE, LAKE TRAVIS DID A ONE-TIME PLUS 1%, SO THEY VOTED.
MOST OF THEM HAD LITERALLY, LIKE, UP UNTIL LAST THURSDAY, THEIR BOARD MEETINGS WERE GOING ON, AND THEY WERE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS AND VOTING.
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW, HOWEVER, AND MAYBE I'LL READ COMMUNITY IMPACT WHEN IT COMES OUT.
WE DON'T KNOW THESE OTHER DISTRICTS IF THOSE TRUSTEES WERE ALSO MAKING DECISIONS ON DEFICIT BUDGETS OR NEUTRAL BUDGETS OR BUDGETS WHERE THEY'RE PUTTING MONEY BACK INTO THEIR FUND BALANCE.
SO WE KNOW A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GIVING RAISES, BUT WE ALSO DON'T KNOW THEIR OVERALL FINANCIAL PICTURE.
SO ONE OF THE DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE IS ABOUT OUR OVERALL FINANCIAL PICTURE, NOT KNOWING WHAT THE OTHER HOW DIFFERENT DISTRICTS' DECISION ABOUT THEIR OWN FINANCIAL HEALTH AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, THOUGH, THAT I THINK THAT A BUDGET IS A MARKER OF HEALTH IN THE DISTRICT.
I THINK TEACHERS CAN BE SCARED AWAY BY SEEING DISTRICTS THAT YEAR OVER YEAR HAVE DEFICIT BUDGETS.
SIGNAL TO OUR COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE 40% OF OUR COMMUNITY DONATING TO THE EANS EDUCATION FOUNDATION THAT THEY SAY ALL RIGHT THE TRUSTEES AND ADMINISTRATION ARE BEING GOOD FIDUCIARY STEWARDS OF THESE TAX DOLLARS BUT ALSO A BUDGET IS AN APPROVAL TO SPEND AND SO ALTHOUGH I'M GONNA MENTION WHAT JAMES SAID.
HE SAID THAT IT WAS RARE SITUATIONS WHERE DEFICIT BUDGETS TURNED OUT TO BE DEFICITS, WHICH IS TECHNICALLY TRUE.
BUT JUST AS EQUALLY AS SOMETHING COULD TURN OUT IN OUR FAVOR AND WE COULD END UP WITH A BETTER FUND BALANCE THAN WAS OUR INITIAL PROJECTION, SIMILARLY, THINGS COULD TURN OUT IN A WORSE SITUATION, AND WE JUST DON'T KNOW.
WE HAVE IMPERFECT INFORMATION.
BEING A FINANCE PROFESSIONAL, WHEN YOU DO PROJECTIONS AND YOU DO FORECASTS, THEY'RE EXACTLY THAT.
THEY'RE YOUR BEST GUESS ESTIMATE AT A POINT IN TIME, AND THEN YOU MEASURE AGAINST THOSE WITH YOUR MONTHLY AND QUARTERLY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS.
BUT THAT GETS REALLY TECHNICAL FOR THE COMMUNITY TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
BUT I THINK THEY DO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ONE MEETING EVERY SUMMER WHERE THE TRUSTEES ARE APPROVING THE BUDGET.
AND IS IT IN THE BLACK OR IS IT IN THE RED? FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, TYING OUT A ONE-TIME REVENUE WITH A ONE-TIME INCREASE, I CAN BE OKAY WITH THAT.
IT'S NOT A COMPOUNDING IMPACT, BUT I'M ALSO OKAY WITH WAITING BECAUSE THEY'RE, TO JOHN'S POINT, WHICH HE BRINGS UP, I THINK THEY'RE VALID.
THE ONE-TIME ITEMS ARE BIG, AND THEY ACTUALLY ARE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT THEY SWING THE NUMBER ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
SO I THINK WHAT JOHN IS PROPOSING, I'M...
I'M FEELING THAT IS ACTUALLY A SMART DECISION FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
ANYONE ELSE? AND I SHOULD SAY, OF COURSE, WE HAVE TWO VOTES, AND THIS IS KIND OF A CHICKEN AND THE EGG.
SHALL WE VOTE ON COMPENSATION AND GO BACK TO THAT FIRST ITEM OR VOTE ON THE BUDGET, WHICH THEN IMPLIES? WHAT THE COMPENSATION IS.
I'M IN FAVOR OF VOTING FIRST ON COMPENSATION.
AND I'LL SAY THE REASON THAT IS, IS BECAUSE IT IS A SIGNAL TO THE COMMUNITY THAT IF WE WERE
[02:25:03]
TO PROPOSE A BUDGET THAT HAD, IT SHOWS ZERO COMPENSATION, THE VOTE IS TO ACTUALLY DEFER THE DECISION UNTIL LATER.AND SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE SAYING THERE'S...
NO RAISE COMING IS THAT WE'RE SIMPLY POSTPONING THE VOTE.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSIONS OR THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS? AT SOME POINT, WE DO NEED TO HAVE A MOTION ON...
COMPENSATION OR THE BUDGET AND THEN THE ONE WE DIDN'T DO.
I MOVE THAT WE POSTPONE THE DECISION ON A ONE-TIME COMPENSATION PAYMENT TO THE SAME MEETING AT WHICH A AT WHICH THE ASSET SALE IS APPROVED.
DOES THAT WORK? ALL RIGHT SO THAT IS FOR ITEM 11.2 ON COMPENSATION UM SO WE HAVE A MOTION DO WE HAVE A SECOND SHOULD I I'M SEEING QUESTIONS SHOULD I REPEAT THAT TO SEE IF THAT WORKS AND THEN WE CAN HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION AND THE SECOND ON THE TABLE OF COURSE IF WE'RE WE COULD ALSO POSTPONE IT TILL THE 18TH AND THEN IF FOR SOME REASON THE ASSET SALE ISN'T DONE AT THAT POINT, THEN POSTPONE IT AGAIN.
MAYBE THAT'S THE CLEANER OPTION.
SO THE MOTION? I'LL ADJUST MY MOTION.
IT HASN'T BEEN SECONDED, SO I THINK THAT IS OKAY.
SO I MOVE THAT WE POSTPONE THE VOTE ON A ONE-TIME PAYMENT TO STAFF.
UNTIL THE BOARD MEETING ON AUGUST 18TH, RIGHT WE HAVE A MOTION FROM JOHN IN A SECOND THE SECOND FROM KATE ALL RIGHT ANY DISCUSSION NOW THAT WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND JAMES.
YEAH, I GO BACK TO LEADERS HAVE TO LEAD.
WE WERE ELECTED TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT WHEN I'M OUT ON THE STREET AND I RUN INTO SOMEBODY, THEY SAY, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU VOLUNTEERED TO DO THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A REALLY TOUGH JOB PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO DO.
AND WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE IT AS EASY, HONEST AS POSSIBLE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? WE NEED TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CASES.
AND I GET IT THAT THERE'S $1.5 MILLION IN THERE THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
BUT GUESS WHAT? THERE ARE A THOUSAND THINGS IN THAT BUDGET WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
THERE ARE A THOUSAND THINGS THAT ARE UNKNOWN AT THIS POINT THAT AREN'T IN CONCRETE.
AND YOU'VE PICKED ON ONE, AND YOU'VE DECIDED TO DO THAT, SO THAT'S FINE.
IN 2019, I HAD TO VOTE FOR A BUDGET THAT HAD NO STAFF INCREASE.
AND IT WEIGHED ON ME VERY HEAVILY AS BRAND NEW TRUSTEE.
I SWORE I WOULD NEVER DO IT AGAIN.
I WILL NOT VOTE FOR THIS BUDGET WITHOUT A STAFF INCREASE.
I'M JUST TELLING YOU NOW WHY I'M GOING TO VOTE NO ON THIS.
BUT THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING TO BE BECAUSE IT WEIGHS ON ME VERY HEAVILY.
AND IF YOU'RE PREPARED TO DO THAT AS YOUR FIRST BUDGET, AS YOUR SECOND BUDGET, THAT'S YOUR BUSINESS AND YOUR DECISION.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSIONS ON THE MOTION WE HAVE ON THE FLOOR? ALL RIGHT, SEEING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION ON THE TABLE AS PROPOSED BY TRUSTEE JOHN TROY? AYE.
SO WE WILL THEN MOVE TO ACTION ITEM 11.1, WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ADOPTION OF THE 2026-2027 BUDGET.
COULD I GET A MOTION? ALL RIGHT.
JOHN? TRYING TO MAKE SURE I READ THIS CORRECTLY HERE.
SO I MOVE THAT THE PROPOSED 26-27 GENERAL FUND BUDGET
[02:30:04]
WITH OPTION ONE, AS WELL AS THE DEBT SERVICE FUND AND CHILD NUTRITION BUDGETS, AT THE FUNCTION LEVEL AS PRESENTED, I MOVE FOR APPROVAL.DO YOU WANT THE LAND REVENUE INCLUDED IN THAT? NO.
SO DO YOU HAVE A PROPOSED ON HOW TO DO IT SO I WORD IT CORRECTLY OR? I WOULD JUST MAKE A MOTION GENERAL SOMEWHERE TO THE EFFECT OF OPTION ONE AS PRESENTED WITH REMOVING THE $1.5 MILLION FOR THE LAND SALE FROM THE REVENUE.
I MOVE FOR OPTION ONE AS PRESENTED WITH REMOVING THE REVENUE FROM THE LAND SALE FROM THE REVENUE AS WELL AS.
THE DEBT SERVICE FUND AND CHILD NUTRITION BUDGETS AT THE FUNCTION LEVEL AS PRESENTED.
ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION BY JOHN.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT, KATE WILL SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION WE HAVE NOW? ALL RIGHT, JENNIFER.
OKAY, I JUST WANT TO REAFFIRM.
MY EARNESTNESS, I GUESS, IN GETTING VERY GRANULAR GOING FORWARD IN FUTURE BUDGETS, BECAUSE AS JAMES ASTUTELY POINTED OUT, THERE ARE, YOU SAID THOUSANDS, I'LL SAY DOZENS, BUT MANY, MANY OPAQUE VARIABLES IN THIS BUDGET THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO VOTE ON.
AND THAT MAKES ME FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, AND I DON'T WANT TO BE IN A POSITION.
SIX OR SEVEN YEARS FROM NOW WHERE I'M RUEFULLY, YOU KNOW, REGRETTING A DECISION THAT I MADE.
AND SO I JUST, I AM VERY KEEN ON GETTING UP TO SPEED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE ON OUR FINANCIAL HEALTH AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE IT, JUST IMPROVE IT IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE A MODEL FOR DISTRICTS AROUND US TO BE LOOKING TO US.
I MEAN, WHY STOP AT 2 TO 2.5%? I THINK WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THAT SEEMS LIKE A STRETCH ACTUALLY, BUT IF WE CAN GO AND PUSH OURSELVES BEYOND THAT, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO MAKE ME FEEL GOOD.
AND SO IT IS REALLY HARD TO MAKE THESE TOUGH DECISIONS, BUT TO BE REALLY CLEAR AND SIGNAL TO MY FELLOW TRUSTEES AND ALSO TO THOSE TUNING IN THAT THIS IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO MAKE A DECISION.
ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ABOUT THIS BUDGET, BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH THAT IS NOT CLEAR, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING MY EYES OPENED AND WAYS TO HELP PITCH IN ON FINDING MORE REVENUE AND MORE COST SAVINGS.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR? KELLY? I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THAT JUST TO REMOVE $1.5 MILLION OUT OF A BUDGET OF $169 MILLION AND DECIDE TO PUT OFF A VOTE SEEMS...
THIS DOESN'T SEEM VERY BALANCED TO ME.
IT'S NOT IN THAT IN THE BIG BUDGET AND IN THE BIG PICTURE IT SEEMS LIKE PUTTING OFF A DECISION THAT CAN BE MADE AND STILL HAVE US BE AHEAD OR MAYBE JUST BEHIND BY LIKE FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS SEEMS LIKE I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO PUT THIS OFF UNTIL AUGUST FOR FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
A POSSIBLE MAYBE LIKE $500,000.
SO I WOULD HAVE REALLY LIKED TO HAVE, I REALLY WOULD HAVE LIKED TO CONSIDER THE RAISES.
I THINK OUR SUPERINTENDENT WANTS TO TALK.
JUST IN GENERAL, I JUST, PRIOR TO A VOTE, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY.
SAY THANK YOU TO PETE AND LORI AND THE TEAM.
I WANT TO REMIND ALL OF OUR TRUSTEES THAT WE WERE ASKED TO PROVIDE ALL OF THESE RESOURCES OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, AND OF COURSE PETE JUST JOINING US OVER THE LAST MONTH BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD AT OUR PRIOR MEETING PUBLICLY.
FOR ANYBODY WHO IS STILL FOLLOWING THE MEETING OR PAYING ATTENTION THIS EVENING, WE'RE VOTING ON THE 26-27 BUDGET ONLY.
AND WHEN WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT MAKING PROJECTIONS, I THINK PETE'S PICTURE THAT HE SHARED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS DIALOGUE TONIGHT ABOUT THE REARVIEW MIRROR BEING A LOT SMALLER THAN THE WINDSHIELD IS SOMETHING WE ALL NEED TO KEEP IN MIND.
WE WERE VERY FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE BECAUSE OF THE REQUESTS
[02:35:01]
OF THE TRUSTEES, AND THAT'S A CREDIT TO ALL THE TRUSTEES FOR ASKING US TO DO THIS WITH THESE PROJECTIONS.AND YET WE'RE STILL LOOKING AHEAD THREE YEARS, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE TAKING AN ACTION TONIGHT ON ONE.
WHERE WE'VE ALSO TRIED TO BE OPTIMISTIC AT THE REQUEST OF TRUSTEES.
SO, AGAIN, I AGREE THIS IS A REALLY HARD DECISION FOR THIS SCHOOL BOARD, AND YET I WANT TO FOCUS IN MYOPICALLY FOR A MOMENT ON 26-27 AND REMIND EVERYONE OF THE WORK THAT MY TEAM SITTING HERE HAS DONE, BECAUSE OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, THEY HAVE MADE THE HARDEST DECISIONS MADE ON THIS PUBLIC SCHOOL BUDGET IN 11 YEARS.
THEY HAVE FOUND A WAY TO BRING A BUDGET NOT ONLY TO BE BALANCED BUT WITH A PROJECTED SURPLUS.
AND I WANT TO COMMEND MY TEAM FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
AND MORE IMPORTANT, BEHIND THAT COMMENDATION IS THE EMPATHY AND CARING THAT I KNOW THEY ALL HAVE AND THAT FOR ALL OF THE STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE NO LONGER WITH US AND ALL OF THE IMPACT THAT WAS NEGATIVE THAT THOSE ACTIONS HAD.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR.
AND MY SUGGESTION AND ADVICE TO YOU IS TO GO TO THE WEBSITE, TO THE ENTIRE GROUP WOULD BE MOVING FORWARD.
WE STOP BEING MYOPIC AND WE START LOOKING AT THESE THREE-YEAR PROJECTIONS IN AN AGGRESSIVE MANNER, OPTIMISTICALLY, WITH THE ABILITY TO INCLUDE PROJECTED REVENUES AND PROJECTED COMPENSATION, AND THAT WE MAKE THOSE PRIORITY STRATEGY ACTIONS AND GOALS THAT WE BUILD OUR DECISIONS AROUND INSTEAD OF ANALYZING SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT HERE OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
EVERY NUMBER CAN BE DEEMED MORE OR LESS IMPORTANT.
I THINK THE BIG PICTURE TONIGHT IS THE TRUSTEES HAVE ENTRUSTED US TO DO A LOT OF WORK TO BRING YOU A BALANCED BUDGET AND WE HAVE DONE THAT.
AND THAT IN AND OF ITSELF OVER THE LAST DECADE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOT ONLY FOR EANES AND THIS SCHOOL COMMUNITY THIS YEAR, BUT THE HISTORY OF THIS DISTRICT BUILT INTO THAT CASH BALANCE THAT REFLECTS GREAT CONSERVATIVE FISCAL STEWARDSHIP.
FOR DECADES BY TRUSTEES AND IS REFLECTED AGAIN TONIGHT IN THE WORK THIS DISTRICT TEAM HAS DONE, ALBEIT HARD WORK, IN THE FACE OF HISTORIC BUDGET PROBLEMS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WITH UNFUNDED MANDATES WHERE WE ARE GETTING NO ASSISTANCE, BUT WE HAVE TAKEN CARE OF OURSELVES.
SO I COMMEND THE TRUSTEES FOR THE DIFFICULT DECISION YOU HAVE TO MAKE, AND I ALSO COMMEND THE TEAM, BUT I AM EMPATHETIC ABOUT THE PEOPLE BEHIND THESE NUMBERS AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE MINDFUL OF THAT THANK YOU ALL RIGHT ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ALL RIGHT SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY JOHN AND A SECOND BY KATE IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE AYE.
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE AHEAD WITH OUR NEXT DISCUSSION ITEM.
THIS DOES NOT REQUIRE AN ACTION TODAY.
MADAM PRESIDENT, COULD WE TAKE A FIVE-MINUTE RECESS? I THINK THAT'S VERY APPROPRIATE.
WE WILL GO INTO RECESS AND RECONVENE, LET'S SAY, IN 10 MINUTES.
[11.3. Discussion /presentation of BAC process for consideration and future a...]
ALL RIGHT.THE TIME IS 919, AND WE'RE RECONVENING TWO MINUTES EARLY, BUT WE HAVE STILL MANY AGENDA ITEMS TO COVER TONIGHT.
SO WE ARE GOING TO PROCEED TO ITEM 11.3, WHICH IS DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION OF THE BACK BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROCESS FOR CONSIDERATION AND FUTURE ACTION ITEM.
AND WE HAVE OUR CONSULTANTS FROM VLK WITH US TONIGHT.
GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT WALKER, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, SUPERINTENDENT KONECKI.
IT'S SUCH A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU TONIGHT.
I HAVE HEARD YOU'VE REQUESTED FOR ME TO BE HERE AND FOR THE TEAM.
I ALSO HAVE TO MY LEFT MR. TOM AYLER, AND HE IS OUT OF THE AUSTIN OFFICE WITH VLK.
AND THEN BEHIND, I DON'T KNOW THE ORDER THEY'RE IN, BUT I'LL HAVE THEM WAVE, JOLIE WILLIS, AND SHE IS OUT OF THE AUSTIN OFFICE.
AND WE HAVE JULIE ZITTER FROM THE AUSTIN OFFICE AND A.D.
BRYANT WHO IS IN THE DALLAS OFFICE, PLANO.
SO I AM GOING TO BE DOING THE BULK OF THIS PRESENTATION, BUT THEY ARE HERE IN SUPPORT AND TO HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT MAY COME UP THAT I MAY NOT HAVE THE PURVIEW TO ANSWER.
SO TONIGHT IS REALLY FOR YOU TO GET TO KNOW ME AND UNDERSTAND WHY I'M HERE AND WHY THE DISTRICT IS USING ME
[02:40:01]
IN THIS CAPACITY.AND ALSO TO UNDERSTAND MY BACKGROUND IN THIS ARENA AND THE SUCCESS THAT I'VE HAD IN THESE FACILITY FACILITATION OF THESE COMMITTEES AND THEN ALSO FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS BECAUSE AS SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD IT'S DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE DISTRICT HAS DONE IN THE PAST AND SO I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING WITH THE BOC LAST NIGHT IN THE SAME ROOM AND ANSWERED ALL OF THEIR QUESTIONS HAD SOME GREAT DIALOGUE.
THEY GAVE ME SOME HISTORICAL INFORMATION.
AND THEY WERE VERY OPEN TO HEARING HOW THIS IS DIFFERENT, AND THEY UNDERSTOOD.
AND SO IT WAS A GREAT, GREAT COUPLE OF HOURS WITH THEM LAST NIGHT.
SO I JUST SAY THAT BECAUSE I REALLY WANT YOU TO KNOW IT WAS.
AND THEY WERE VERY RESPECTFUL OF ME, AND THEY WERE VERY OPEN.
THROUGHOUT THAT WHOLE CONVERSATION, I JUST KEPT COMING BACK TO THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT I KNOW, AND THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN MY JOURNEY OF THIS PART OF MY CAREER.
SO I AM NOT GOING TO READ THROUGH ALL OF THIS.
BUT A SHORT VERSION OF THIS IS I'VE BEEN IN PUBLIC ED ARENA FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
I STARTED AS A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER.
AND THEY JUST ARE SO GREAT, AND I LOVED THEM.
AND I WAS ALSO AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
MOVED TO CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THEN MOVED TO THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
I'VE BEEN IN RURAL DISTRICTS, SUBURBAN MIDSIZE, FAST GROWTH, AND ALSO IN URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE.
AND SO I'VE BEEN IN VARIOUS ROLES AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE LEVEL, BUT ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT WAS THE FACT THAT EVERY TIME I WAS IN A DISTRICT, WE WERE DOING SOME TYPE OF BOND ELECTION.
SO I WAS ALWAYS THE ONE BEING CALLED IN THE ROOM TO OVERSEE.
THE PLANNING AND THE LOGISTICS AND THAT KIND OF THING BECAUSE I'M A VERY TYPE A PERSONALITY AND MY SUPERINTENDENT ALWAYS SAID LIZZIE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY ON TASK AND SHE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET ALL OF THIS COMPLETED AND SO YOU YOU WILL HAVE THIS.
I JUST PUT SOME A FEW THINGS IN THERE ABOUT MYSELF.
I DO HAVE A DAUGHTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
I'M VERY PROUD OF HER AS SHE IS ENTERING HER JUNIOR YEAR.
AND SO IT'S LOVELY TO WORK IN THIS AREA BECAUSE I GET TO SEE HER WHEN I COME TO CENTRAL TEXAS.
AT THE END OF MY CAREER WITH THE STATE, I WAS WITH THE REGIONAL SERVICE CENTER, REGION 10.
I WAS THE STATE LIAISON TO ALL THE SUPERINTENDENTS IN REGION 10, WHICH IS ABOUT 130 ON A GIVEN DAY.
AND I WAS THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEM.
THEN IN 2018, I STARTED A COMPANY CALLED TRANSCEND4, AND I SEPARATED FROM THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
AND WITHIN THAT COMPANY, THE BULK OF WHAT WE DID AS...
EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANTS WAS GO AROUND AND HELP SCHOOL DISTRICTS DO THE VERY SAME THING THAT I'M SUPPORTING EANS WITH, AND THAT IS THE FACILITATION OF A PUBLIC BOND COMMITTEE WHO PUTS TOGETHER A PACKAGE TO PRESENT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR RECOMMENDATION FOR A BOND ELECTION.
AND SO FOR THE PAST NINE YEARS, I'VE BEEN DOING THAT ON MY OWN.
AND LAST YEAR, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO, MY COMPANY WAS ACQUIRED BY VLK.
AND SO THAT'S WHY TODAY I STAND, SIT, PRESENT BEFORE YOU AS THE OKAY.
I FOUND MYSELF IN ROOMS WITH THEM ALL OVER THE STATE.
AND THAT'S JUST THE WRITING ON THE WALL.
IT JUST KIND OF ALL CAME TOGETHER.
AS TRANSCEND EVOLVED OVER THOSE YEARS SINCE 2018, THESE ARE THE DISTRICTS THAT WE SERVED IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND WHAT YOU DON'T SEE UP THERE IS THAT MY PERSONAL SUCCESS IN THIS ARENA HAS BEEN SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO THE TUNE OF $16 BILLION IN BONDS PASSED SINCE 2018.
AND THERE WAS ONE YEAR WE ONLY HAD ONE ELECTION AND 20 DURING COVID.
SO WE ONLY HAD A NOVEMBER ELECTION THAT YEAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, 13 TO 14 BOND ELECTIONS, I WOULD SAY THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD RECORD AT THIS POINT.
I'VE BEEN IN COMMUNITIES ALL VERY DIFFERENT, ALL TYPES OF DIFFERENT BONDS.
BUT ONE THING THAT I ALWAYS SAY IS I REALLY DON'T HAVE A STAKE IN HOW MUCH THE BOND IS OR WHAT'S IN THE BOND.
MY GOAL IS FOR THE COMMITTEE TO HAVE AN OPEN AND HONEST PROCESS AND HAVE A FACILITATOR THAT LEADS THAT PROCESS.
IT'S DIFFICULT WHEN A DISTRICT DOES IT BECAUSE IT SEEMS HEAVY-HANDED AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S AN AGENDA SO THAT'S WHY IT'S NICE TO HAVE A THIRD PARTY COME IN AND BE ABLE TO DO THIS AND HELP LEAD THE PROCESS.
SO LET ME GO THROUGH A BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS SO YOU UNDERSTAND.
I AM THE THIRD PARTY ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMITTEE.
I GIVE THEM MY CELL PHONE NUMBER, MY EMAIL ADDRESS.
SOMETIMES I HAVE DINNER AT THEIR HOUSE.
[02:45:01]
PRIVATELY, SO THEY CAN TELL ME ALL OF THEIR OPINIONS.SOMETIMES I MEET AT STARBUCKS AND SEE SLIDE DECKS THAT THEY'VE PREPARED FOR ME.
I'VE BECOME VERY CLOSE WITH A LOT OF MEMBERS OF COMMITTEES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AND STILL KEEP IN TOUCH.
BUT I'M BUILDING TRUST WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GO TO SOMEONE.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO GO TO THE DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE DISTRICT IS RUNNING OPERATIONS AND THEY'RE DOING THINGS.
IT'S NICE TO GO TO A THIRD PARTY.
SO THAT PERSON CAN THEN GET ALL OF THE INFORMATION NEEDED AND REPORT BACK TO THE COMMITTEE AS A WHOLE.
I DO OVERSEE THE MEETING DESIGN WITH THE PRESENTATIONS, BECAUSE REMEMBER IT'S NOT THE DISTRICT CREATING ALL OF THESE PRESENTATIONS.
I'M WORKING WITH THE DEMOGRAPHER, THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR, THE ARCHITECT.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT DATA AND INFORMATION THAT HAS TO BE REVIEWED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMITTEE IS GETTING THE RIGHT INFORMATION.
TO TRUSTEE BLACKMON'S COMMENT EARLIER, YOU KNOW, IT NEEDS TO BE GRANULAR FOR THIS BIG OF AN ASK.
YOU'RE ASKING THESE PEOPLE TO MAKE SOME BIG DECISIONS WHEN THEY PUT THIS BOND PACKAGE TOGETHER, SO WE NEED TO BE EDUCATING THEM IN THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
SO I JUST MAKE SURE EVERYTHING STAYS IN PLACE, AND AFTER EVERY MEETING, WE DO A DEBRIEF THE NEXT DAY.
AND I DO THIS BECAUSE THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAPPEN AT THOSE TABLES THAT I CAN'T HEAR.
BUT I NEED TO BE AWARE OF BECAUSE IF IT'S A NEGATIVE NOTION OR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT BEING DELIVERED, I NEED TO GET AHEAD OF THAT.
SO I MAKE SURE WHEN WE COME BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING THAT WE ARE IN TUNE TO THAT AND WE HONOR THOSE REQUESTS.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL SAY THINGS AT THE TABLE, BUT THEY WON'T SAY THEM IN THE LARGE ROOM.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE TABLE FACILITATOR COMES IN HANDY.
AND I KNOW LEADERSHIP IS WORKING ON THOSE ROLES OF WHO WILL BE FULFILLING THOSE, BUT THEY DO NOT VOTE.
THEY'RE JUST THERE TO HELP GUIDE THE TABLE AND MAKE SURE THEY GET EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED.
AND I SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
SO MY END GAME IN ALL OF THIS IS FOR THE COMMITTEE TO REACH CONSENSUS AND COMMITMENT.
WE USE A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY, NOT A SIMPLE MAJORITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAY THIS IN THE ROOM MANY TIMES, NOT EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM IS GOING TO GET EVERYTHING THEY WANT, BUT EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM IS GOING TO GET SOMETHING THEY WANT.
AND WITH AS MANY NEEDS AS YOU DO HAVE IN YOUR FACILITIES, THERE'S GOING TO BE A VERY LARGE MENU PRESENTED TO THIS COMMITTEE TO DECIDE FROM.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE PROBABLY WON'T BE ENOUGH BONDING CAPACITY TO CAPTURE ALL OF IT.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE DECISIONS REALLY GET DIFFICULT.
JUST LIKE YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT DIFFICULT DECISIONS TONIGHT, THEY WILL HAVE VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE OVER THE COURSE OF THE TIME THAT THEY SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
AND DECISIONS THAT IMPACT NOT EVEN THE STUDENTS YOU HAVE TODAY, BUT STUDENTS THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE FOR 20 YEARS.
AND THAT'S THE TRUTH, AND WE TALK ABOUT THAT IN THAT ROOM.
WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS IN THAT ROOM.
OF COURSE, YOU SEE THE STUDENTS YOU HAVE TODAY, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF KIDS NOT EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THAT THOSE BUILDING DECISIONS WILL IMPACT.
SO THIS IS THE TYPICAL FORMAT THAT WE USE FOR OUR MEETING AGENDAS.
AND AS YOU LOOK THROUGH HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE WE HIT A LOT OF INFORMATION OVER THIS COURSE OF SIX MEETINGS.
THE FIRST MEETING IS A LOT OF UNPACKING OF PROCESS AND TIMELINE.
THERE IS A CHARGE THAT I WILL BE SHOWING YOU TONIGHT THAT WE LIKE FOR THE BOARD TO EDIT, UPDATE, AND ADOPT.
PRIMARILY THE PRESIDENT IS A GOOD PERSON TO COME AND PRESENT IT TO THE TO THE COMMITTEE AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE AND I'LL SHOW YOU THE CHARGE IN A MINUTE BUT JUST TO GET AHEAD OF THAT THE CHARGE IS BASICALLY THEIR INSTRUCTIONS SO THEY DON'T GET IN THE WEEDS WE WON'T BE TALKING ABOUT CARPET COLOR IN THIS ROOM WE WON'T BE TALKING ABOUT PLACEMENT OF OF PARKING LOTS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE OR WHATEVER IT IS THIS THIS COMMITTEE IS REALLY DESIGNED TO UM STUDY FINANCE AND FACILITY NEEDS AND WHAT THE THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE FOR FACILITIES IN THE DISTRICT.
SO THAT FIRST MEETING, WE'LL DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT PROJECTS SINCE THE PRIOR BOND AND GIVE UPDATES ON THOSE.
POPPY WILL BE OUR PRESENTER THAT NIGHT OVER SCHOOL FINANCE 101.
AND HE IS GOING TO EDUCATE THE COMMITTEE ABOUT M&O, INS, WHY YOU NEED A BOND, WHY WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT PLAUSIBLE TO USE GENERAL FUND TO DO ALL OF THESE THINGS.
WE'LL PROBABLY TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TAX RATE THAT NIGHT AND ALSO ABOUT HOW YOU COMPARE TO DISTRICTS IN YOUR REGION OR IN YOUR AREA THAT YOU TYPICALLY COMPARE YOURSELF TO.
MEETING TWO, THE DEMOGRAPHER WILL COME AND TALK ABOUT BIRTH RATES AND ALL KINDS OF ITEMS. I BELIEVE YOU ALL HAVE SECURED A NEW DEMOGRAPHER.
IS THAT THE CASE OR IN THE PLANS OF THAT? YES.
[02:50:02]
YES.SO ALL OF THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU WILL PROBABLY BE GIVEN BEFORE THE COMMITTEE, THEY WILL BE A PRE-B TO THAT AS WELL.
IT WILL BE PART OF THEIR DECISION-MAKING.
A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS YOU SAW TONIGHT AS FAR AS ENROLLMENT WITH THE NUMBERS, THOSE ARE SIMILAR THINGS THEY'LL BE SEEING TO UNDERSTAND THE CAPACITY OF THE SCHOOLS AND WHAT EACH CAMPUS CAN HANDLE.
AND THEN THAT NIGHT, THE ARCHITECT TEAM FROM VLK WILL BE PRESENTING THE FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
NOW, THIS IS NOT A DETAILED PROJECT LIST YET.
THIS IS MORE OVERVIEW, LIKE WE HAVE THIS MANY BUILDINGS AND WE HAVE THIS MANY THAT ARE IN OUR LIFE CYCLE TIME FOR ROOFS OR, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
WE'RE NOT GETTING INTO THE DETAILS JUST YET.
WE'RE GIVING THEM JUST SOME OVERVIEW INFORMATION OF NEEDS THAT HAVE COME OUT WHEN, YOU KNOW, WALKING THE BUILDINGS, THE ENGINEERS, THE DISTRICT, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND I DO BELIEVE THE INFORMATION FROM THE COMMITTEES.
THAT MR. AYLER HAS BEEN WORKING WITH WILL COME UP AT THIS TIME AS WELL, ALONG WITH YOUR EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS.
WE'LL BE COVERING THAT MEETING TOO.
NOTICE WE'VE TEED THEM UP HERE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MONEY AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT NEEDS, AND THEN ON THAT MEETING THREE IS ACTUALLY A SATURDAY MORNING.
WE'RE GOING TO PUT THEM ON BUSES AND TAKE THEM AROUND THE DISTRICT TO FOUR BUILDINGS.
WE CAN GET TO ABOUT FOUR IN A MORNING.
IT IS A VERY INTERACTIVE MEETING.
BUT THESE ADULTS LOVE TO TAKE SELFIES ON THESE BUSES.
IT'S A VERY EXCITING TIME FOR THEM.
SO WE WILL FIND SOME THINGS IN THESE BUILDINGS THAT ARE RELATIVE THAT THEY CAN PUT THEIR EYES ON.
WE WILL ALSO POINT OUT THAT IT'S NOT JUST IN THAT BUILDING THIS NEED EXISTS, BUT IN OTHER BUILDINGS SINCE WE WON'T HAVE THE TIME TO GO TO EVERY CAMPUS IN THE DISTRICT ON THAT MORNING.
THEN AT MEETING FOUR, WE WILL COME BACK, AND THAT IS WHEN WE HAVE OUR PROJECT PRIORITY PRESENTATION.
THIS IS WHEN THEY WILL START SEEING THE ACTUAL PROJECTS WITH A COST.
WE CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THE END TO SHOW THEM COSTS BECAUSE IT'S VERY JARRING TO THEM.
THESE PEOPLE ARE USED TO HOME REPAIRS OR SMALLER TICKET ITEMS. NOW, I KNOW YOUR AVERAGE HOME COST IS HIGHER THAN MOST HERE IN THE DISTRICT, BUT IT'S STILL...
A LOT MORE THAN THEY'VE EVER REALLY BEEN EXPOSED TO.
SO WE HAVE TO START UNPACKING THE COST AT THAT POINT TO GET THEM USED TO IT BECAUSE WHAT A LOT OF EDUCATED PEOPLE DO IN THESE COMMITTEES IS THEY TAKE THE COST WE GIVE THEM AND THEY GO LOOK AT OTHER DISTRICTS AND WHAT THEY'VE PAID FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS THAT MAY BE SIMILAR.
THEY DO A COST COMPARISON ANALYSIS, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT TO GIVE THEM SOME TIME TO DO THAT.
SO THAT NIGHT, THEY'LL BE GIVEN THE BIG PICTURE.
THAT'S THEIR SELECTION SHEET, WHAT THEY WILL BE CHOOSING TO PUT INTO THEIR BOND PACKAGE.
WE WILL ALSO SEND THEM HOME WITH A VERY LARGE WORKSHEET THAT WILL HAVE ALL OF THE PROJECTS AND THE COSTS, AND THAT WORKSHEET IS THEIR HOMEWORK THAT NIGHT.
AND THEY WILL GO HOME AND BUILD A BOND FOR THE FIRST TIME.
I'VE LEARNED IN THIS LINE OF WORK THAT IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE VOTE, IT'S DEFEATING TO THEM.
THEY'VE WORKED SO HARD OVER THE PAST FEW NIGHTS.
BUT IF YOU ONLY ALLOW THEM TO HAVE ONE TIME TO ACTUALLY BUILD A BOND, IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
THERE'S A DOUBT, YOU MIGHT SAY.
BUT IF THEY PRACTICE IT AND THEY DO IT A FEW TIMES, JUST LIKE A THEATER DEPARTMENT DOES DRESS REHEARSALS, IT'S THE SAME PREMISE.
OLD THEATER MOM, THAT'S WHY I SAY THAT.
SO THEY'LL COME BACK WITH THEIR HOMEWORK TO MEETING FIVE.
NOW NOTICE, WE DID NOT GIVE THEM A CAPACITY YET.
SO I'M SENDING THEM HOME TO BUILD A BOND WITHOUT A CAPACITY, AND THAT'S PURPOSEFUL.
THE MOMENT YOU GIVE AN ADULT A NUMBER, THEY GO BACKWARDS, AND THAT'S ALL THEY THINK ABOUT IS THE NUMBER.
THEY DON'T THINK ABOUT THE NEEDS, WHAT THE COMMUNITY CAN ABSORB, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO YOU WAIT UNTIL MEETING FIVE TO GIVE THE CAPACITY.
POPPY ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY, YOU KNOW, AT THAT POINT WE'LL HAVE THE LATEST AND GREATEST NUMBER TWO.
YOU DON'T WANT TO GIVE THEM A NUMBER EARLY IN THE PROCESS, AND IT CHANGES EVERY TIME WE GET TOGETHER.
SO MEETING FIVE, THEY'LL HAVE THEIR NUMBER, THEY'LL PULL THEIR WORKSHEET OUT, AND THEY WILL, AT THAT NIGHT, BUILD A BOND AT THEIR TABLE.
SO THEY BUILT ONE AT HOME, AND NOW AT MEETING FIVE, THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD IT AT THEIR TABLE, JUST AT THEIR TABLE.
THEY WILL GET VERY USED TO THEIR TABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL STAY WITH THE SAME TABLE THE ENTIRE TIME, AND THAT'S PURPOSEFUL AS WELL.
I NEED THEM TO FEEL COMFORTABLE AT THAT TABLE, OPEN, THAT THEY CAN SAY THEIR COMMENTS AND SAY THEIR OPINIONS.
IF THEY MOVE AROUND ALL THE TIME IN THAT ROOM, THERE'LL BE SOME PEOPLE IN THERE WHO HAVE A HARD TIME DOING THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN USED TO THOSE PEOPLE.
AND SO BUILDING CAMARADERIE AND TEAMWORK AT THAT TABLE IS VERY POSITIVE FOR THIS EXPERIENCE.
SO MEETING FIVE, WE HAVE A TABLE VOTE, WE GO HOME.
THEY COME BACK MEETING SIX, AND THAT'S WHEN WE ACTUALLY WILL BUILD THE FINAL BOND PACKAGE.
[02:55:02]
SO THAT IS THEIR THIRD VOTE.AND I HAVE A VOTING APPLICATION SYSTEM CALLED COVOICE, AND THE TABLE FACILITATOR WILL HAVE ONE LAPTOP, AND THEY ENTER VOTES BASED ON YESES.
SO NO VOTE IS TIED TO A NAME, IT'S ONLY TIED TO A NUMBER.
SO IF THERE'S SEVEN PEOPLE AT A TABLE AND FIVE VOTE YES, THAT'S A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY.
THAT LINE ITEM MAKES IT INTO THAT TABLE'S BOND.
THEN, AFTER ALL THE TABLES HAVE PUT A BOND TOGETHER, IT MOVES TO A LARGE ROOM VOTE.
SO YOU ALMOST SEE IT AS IT ASCENDS FROM THE TABLE.
AND IF THERE'S SEVEN TABLES IN THE ROOM, FIVE HAVE TO AGREE FOR THAT PROJECT TO MAKE IT INTO THE FINAL BOND PACKAGE.
I'VE ALSO WORKED THROUGH THIS IN MY EXPERIENCE, THAT IF IT'S A SIMPLE MAJORITY AND YOU VOTE ONCE, IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
THERE HAS TO BE A LEVELING SYSTEM.
IT MAKES IT MORE PRECISE AND MORE PROFESSIONAL, AS I HAVE SEEN THIS UNPACK OVER THE TIME.
AND THEN THAT NIGHT WE HAVE A LITTLE CELEBRATION.
WE'LL DO A SWOT ANALYSIS WHERE WE TALK THROUGH STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS OF THE POTENTIAL BOND.
ONE THING YOU DON'T SEE ON HERE IS A FINAL BOARD MEETING WHERE I WILL COME WITH A COUPLE MEMBERS FROM THE COMMITTEE AND PRESENT THE ACTUAL PACKAGE RECOMMENDATION TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
SO THESE ARE SOME SLIDES THAT I USE WITH THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM AND I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS COMMITTEE WILL HAVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON IT.
THERE WILL BE ONE AT EVERY TABLE.
I ALWAYS HAVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON MY COMMITTEE BECAUSE THEY'RE YOUR OWNERS, THEY'RE YOUR CLIENTS AND THEY KNOW THOSE BUILDINGS AND SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN IN THOSE BUILDINGS SINCE KINDERGARTEN SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO BE A VOICE IN THE ROOM.
SO I USE THIS SLIDE BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE COME IN AND THEY'VE WORKED IN SILOS ALL DAY.
AND THEY DON'T THINK ABOUT COLLABORATION AND WORKING TOGETHER.
SO JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING DOESN'T MEAN IT CAN'T CONTINUE TO MOVE DOWN THE PATH.
AND SO I SHOW THEM THIS SLIDE EVERY TIME I WORK WITH THEM BECAUSE IN THE END WE WILL HAVE TO REACH CONSENSUS.
AND I WANT THEM TO THINK ABOUT HOW THEY LISTEN AND HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER AS A COMMITTEE AND WITHIN THEIR TABLES.
BECAUSE ANY TIME A NEW TOPIC IS INTRODUCED, PEOPLE PICK A SIDE, AND THAT'S JUST HUMAN NATURE.
AND THEN THEY GET TO THE GROWN ZONE, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.
I WANT TO HEAR PEOPLE'S OPINIONS.
I WANT THEM TO BE OUTWARDLY SPOKEN.
AND BASED ON WHAT I HEARD LAST NIGHT FROM YOUR BOC, I WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM GAINING THAT FROM YOUR COMMUNITY.
I REALLY VALUE WHEN PEOPLE SPEAK OUT.
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO WALK INTO THIS ROOM OR HAVE THIS NOTION THAT THERE'S ALREADY A BOND DONE, AND WE'RE JUST DOING THIS AS, YOU KNOW, SOME TYPE OF THEATER FOR THEM.
AND THEN AFTER THE GROWN ZONE, YOU HAVE A CONVERGENT POINT TO A DECISION.
NOTICE THE ONE THING ON THIS SLIDE THAT DOES NOT WAIT, AND THAT'S TIME.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THE DEMOGRAPHER COMES, I WILL TELL HIM OR HER, YOU HAVE THIS AMOUNT OF TIME.
WE NEED TO WORK YOUR SLIDES INTO THIS AMOUNT OF TIME.
THERE'S A LOT OF TIME FOR DISCUSSION.
BUT WE CANNOT HAVE MEETINGS THAT DON'T HAVE A START TIME AND AN END TIME.
AND WHEN I SAY WE'RE STARTING AT 6 O'CLOCK, WHEN THAT ATOMIC CLOCK HITS, IT'S 6 O'CLOCK WE START BECAUSE I VALUE PEOPLE'S TIME.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING.
KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO START ON TIME EVERY NIGHT.
AND WHEN 8 O'CLOCK HITS, WE ARE FINISHED.
NOW, IF THEY WANT TO GO OUT IN THE PARKING LOT AND CONTINUE TO MEET, LIZZIE JOHNSON WILL NOT BE FACILITATING THAT MEETING IN THE PARKING LOT, THAT THEY ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO CONTINUE TO MEET OUT THERE.
BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT ADULTS, AFTER A LONG DAY OF WORK, ABOUT TWO HOURS IS ALL YOU'RE GOING TO GET FROM THEM.
THEIR ATTENTION SPANS DECREASE, AND THEY CHECK OUT.
WE DESIGN THESE MEETINGS THAT THEY GET EVERYTHING THEY NEED IN THAT TWO-HOUR TIME FRAME.
SO I KNOW YOU'RE TALKING TONIGHT ABOUT THE COMMITTEE AND THE LIST, BUT THESE ARE SOME IDEAS OF PEOPLE THAT I ALWAYS SAY ARE GREAT MEMBERS TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE.
WHEN YOU THINK OF A COMMITTEE, YOU THINK OF THE TABLE REPRESENTING YOUR COMMUNITY.
SOMEBODY AT THAT TABLE HAS A REACH.
THEY HAVE A SPHERE OF INFLUENCE.
AND YOU WANT THAT BECAUSE EVERY NIGHT I WILL TELL THAT GROUP, NOTHING WE SAY IN HERE IS A SECRET, AND YOU BETTER GET OUT AND TALK ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE UP STORIES ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THIS ROOM.
WHEN THEY SEE A BUNCH OF CARS PARKED IN A BUILDING AND THEY KNOW A BUNCH OF ADULTS ARE
[03:00:01]
IN THERE TALKING, THEY WORRY.AND SO WE HAVE TO GO OUT AND TALK ABOUT IT.
SO I ALWAYS SAY AT YOUR TABLE, YOU KIND OF THINK THIS IS A PICTURESQUE REPRESENTATION OF OUR COMMUNITY.
HOW MANY PEOPLE DO THEY KNOW? HOW MANY PEOPLE DO THEY KNOW? THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TALK TO THAT MANY.
I'M NOT SAYING THEY HAVE TO GO OUT AND ADVOCATE AT THAT POINT, BUT THEY'RE GOING OUT TO TEACH THE FACTS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN A MEETING ONE, WHEN DR.
POPPY DOES SCHOOL FINANCE, WE'LL HAVE A TAKEAWAY THAT NIGHT.
POSTCARD SIZE, THINK OF SOMETHING OF LIKE THAT NATURE.
WE'LL BE USING COMMUNICATIONS TO HELP US WITH THAT AND OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, BUT IT'LL BE JUST LIKE AN INFOGRAPHIC ABOUT SCHOOL FINANCE THAT SHOWS, YOU KNOW, SOME TYPE OF M&O REPRESENTATION, INS, MAYBE SHOWS YOUR CURRENT TAX RATE.
SO THIS PERSON COULD PULL THIS OUT IN A MEETING AT CHURCH, IN THE GROCERY STORE, WHEREVER IT IS, AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I WAS AT MY MEETING THE OTHER NIGHT.
I'M ON THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND WE TALKED ABOUT SCHOOL FINANCE, AND I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU THIS.
SO THERE'S LITTLE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THAT ROOM THAT WE BUILD CAPACITY WITH.
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THEM KEEPING ALL OF THIS TO THEMSELVES, A LOT OF INFORMATION.
I WANT THEM TO GO OUT AND TALK ABOUT IT IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
IT IS A VERY BASIC CHARGE, AND I ALWAYS START WITH THIS ONE WHEN I WORK WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD.
WE WILL NOT BE MAKING THIS DECISION TONIGHT, BUT I WILL BE LEAVING THIS WITH SUPERINTENDENT KONECKI AND DR. SAYLORS SO THAT YOU ALL CAN LOOK AT THIS OVER THE COMING MONTHS.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL PRESENT TO THE COMMITTEE THE FIRST NIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT THEREAFTER.
AND IT'S BASICALLY THEIR MARCHING ORDERS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THIS IS VERY BASIC.
CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF ALL THE STUDENTS.
YOU KNOW, REPRESENT THE PRIORITIES OF THE COMMUNITY.
STRIVE FOR THAT THE FACILITIES ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME, BUT THAT THEY HAVE EQUITY.
AND THEN ALSO UNDERSTANDING THE DISTRICT'S FINANCES.
SO THIS IS A VERY SIMPLE FIVE BULLETS.
YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK THIS DOES ENCOMPASS EVERYTHING THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
AND I THINK THE THIRD BULLET IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.
THEY ARE GOING TO BE INUNDATED WITH DATA.
AND, I MEAN, IT'S LIKE RECEIVING INFORMATION THROUGH A FIRE HOSE IN SOME OF THESE MEETINGS.
AND I NEED THEM TO BE REALLY PROCESSING THAT DATA, EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING.
THAT'S WHY WE GIVE THEM A BINDER, AND WE WILL PRINT THESE THINGS FOR THEM.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE MOST POPULAR THING SOMETIMES, BUT.
THEY LIKE TO HAVE PAPER AND THEY WANT TO WRITE ON IT AND I NEED THEM STUDYING AND SO I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, FEEL CERTAIN THEY'RE GOING TO GO HOME AND PULL ALL OF THIS UP ON THE INTERNET.
I NEED THEM REALLY DIGGING INTO ALL OF THIS STUFF SO THAT WHEN THEY COME BACK THEY HAVE REALLY STRONG QUESTIONS AND THEY'RE PREPARED FOR THE NEXT STEP.
THIS IS A LOT LIKE NIGHT SCHOOL, YOU MIGHT SAY.
THEY'RE GETTING A DEGREE IN BOND PLANNING.
AND SO IT IS A LOT OF INFORMATION AND LIKE I SAID, I'M GOING TO LEAVE THIS WITH YOU ALL.
SO THAT WE CAN MORPH THIS INTO SOMETHING THAT WORKS BETTER FOR THIS COMMITTEE THROUGH THE BOARD.
SO THAT IS MY PRESENTATION, AND I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY SOME QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER AND ATTEND TO ANY OF THOSE.
BUT THANK YOU FOR ASKING ME TO BE HERE.
IT REALLY DID MEAN A LOT TO ME WHEN DR.
SAYLOR SAID, THEY WANT YOU TO COME IN JUNE.
DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSIONS OR QUESTIONS FOR LIZZIE OR MR. AYLER WHILE THEY'RE HERE? ALL RIGHT, KELLY.
I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU GIVING THEM THE IT.
EVERYTHING THEY'RE LEARNING AND KNOWING IN PAPER AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO GO OUT.
BECAUSE YOU WONDER HOW WE START TO SPREAD THE WORD AND HOW WE START TO MAKE SURE THE INPUT IS GOING OUT AND COMING IN STILL.
AND SO I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
DON'T FORGET YOUR HOMEWORK TO GO TALK TO PEOPLE.
SO IN LOOKING AT LIKE THE MEMBERS THAT YOU LISTED, WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW, THE VARIETY, IT'S ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF PERSONALITY AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT, JAMES, AND THEN JOHN.
DOCTOR, I'VE WATCHED OUR BOND PROCESS FROM THE AUDIENCE AND FROM THE BOARD SEAT NOW AND SEEN IT HAPPEN A COUPLE OF TIMES.
ONE THING THAT I'VE NOTICED IN THE TWO THAT I'VE BEEN REALLY CLOSE TO IS THAT WE HAVE CITIZENS WHO GO THROUGH A REALLY GOOD PROCESS.
AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THEY DO, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP OF THAT OR GUIDANCE ON THAT.
BUT EVERY TIME IT SEEMS THAT THEY GO THROUGH THIS LONG LIST OF NUMBERS AND THINGS, AND HERE'S THE BOND PROPOSAL, AND THE BOARD TWEAKS IT A LITTLE BIT.
YOU KNOW, MAY ADD SOMETHING IN,
[03:05:01]
MAY TAKE SOMETHING OUT, THAT KIND OF THING.DO YOU HELP THE MEMBERS KIND OF UNDERSTAND THAT THE BOARD DOESN'T JUST NECESSARILY RUBBER STAMP, OR DO YOU SEE THAT? IS THE PROCESS YOU'VE DONE, DOES IT ALWAYS LEAD TO THE BOARD JUST SAYING YES, OR IS THERE STILL A BOARD PROCESS OF THINKING AND LOOKING AND GOING OVER THE ITEMS? NOT TO BRAG, BUT I WOULD SAY 95% OF MY PACKAGES REMAIN INTACT.
ONCE THE BOARD GETS THEM BECAUSE THE COMMITTEE HAS DUG SO DEEP INTO EVERY SCENARIO AND PUT TOGETHER SUCH A BRILLIANT PACKAGE AND IT REALLY IS JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE SO COMMITTED TO THE DISTRICT.
I MEAN NOBODY'S GOING TO SIGN UP TO BE ON THIS COMMITTEE JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO YOU KNOW.
I MEAN WE'RE NOT PAYING THEM AND ALL OF THAT SO BUT I DO I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE WHAT SAYING HERE, I DO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION.
NOW, WHEN I SIT IN FRONT OF BOARDS, I CAUTION YOU, TOO MUCH CHANGE COULD BE A NEGATIVE THING, BECAUSE THIS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HAVE WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY, AND YOU CHARGED THEM TO DO THIS AS A BOARD.
SO I JUST CAUTION YOU, TOO MUCH CHANGE COULD BE A NEGATIVE THING.
AND I HAVE A VERY CLOSE FRIEND WHO WORKED 20 YEARS AGO ON A LONG-RANGE PLAN FOR THE DISTRICT, AND THE BOARD REJECTED IT AND THREW IT IN THE TRASH CAN, AND HE'S VERY BITTER ABOUT THAT.
HE JUST FEELS BITTERNESS OVER ALL THE WORK THAT HE DID AND THEN TO HAVE THE BOARD DO IT.
I DON'T THINK THIS BOARD WOULD DO THAT, BUT JUST THIS IDEA THAT SOMETIMES THE BOARD, AND HISTORICALLY THIS BOARD, NOT THESE PEOPLE, BUT EANS HAS TWEAKED THINGS A LITTLE.
BUT NONETHELESS, I WONDER IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET QUESTIONS, HEY, WHY DID THE BOARD NOT DO THIS OR WHY DID THE BOARD ADD THIS? I REMIND THEM THAT IT IS A RECOMMENDATION AND THAT YOU ALL HAVE THAT PURVIEW BECAUSE YOU ARE OFFICIALLY CALLING THE BOND WHEN THAT TIME HAPPENS.
ONE OF OUR GOALS OF THE TIMELINE OF THIS PROCESS ALLOWS US TO BRING A PACKAGE TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WELL BEFORE IT'S REQUIRED TO BE CALLED.
SO THAT IF THERE ARE SUGGESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR THINGS THAT THE BOARD SAYS, WELL, DID YOU LOOK AT THIS OR DID YOU LOOK AT THAT, IT COULD GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE COMMITTEE BACK AND SAY, HEY, THE BOARD'S ASKED US TO LOOK AT THESE ITEMS. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO GET DONE IN THE DECEMBER TIMEFRAME, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A BOND CALL WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED UNTIL MID-FEBRUARY.
AND I'VE ONLY BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR A YEAR, AND SO I HAVE FOLLOWED SOME FROM THE AUDIENCE, BUT THIS IS MY FIRST TIME GOING THROUGH A BOND ON THIS SIDE.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU ALL COMING HERE, AND IT'S NICE TO HAVE EXPERTS WHO HELP GUIDE US THROUGH IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY, AT LEAST FOR THE LAST FEW BONDS, WE HAVE CALLED THEM MORE MATES BONDS.
AND I THINK WE'VE THOUGHT OF THEM MORE AS THIS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
HOW CAN WE BE CREATIVE AND MOVE THINGS FROM M&O OVER TO INS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
VERSUS THIS TIME, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF, WE'VE BEEN COLLOQUIALLY CALLING IT A TRANSFORMATIONAL BOND, WHICH I'M SURE YOU HAVE PART.
TO DO THAT, SURE YOU HAVE SOME MAINTENANCE IN THERE, BUT THEN YOU HAVE SOME BIG PICTURE.
YOU HAVE ENVISIONING WHAT EDUCATION IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
BECAUSE BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN BUILDINGS, I THINK OUR NEWEST ONE WAS BUILT IN THE 90S. WE USED THESE BUILDINGS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND SO YOU HAVE TO DREAM A BIT ABOUT WHAT EDUCATION IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, NOT JUST THE FIRST YEAR IT'S OPEN, BUT FIVE YEARS, TEN YEARS, FIFTEEN, TWENTY.
LIKE WHERE IS THE WORLD HEADED? IT'S NOT JUST THE SAME AS, OKAY, WE NEED A NEW AIR CONDITIONER.
AND SO HOW DO YOU WORK WITH COMMITTEES TO DO A BIT OF THAT DREAMING BIG WHEN IT MAY BE OUTSIDE THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE BECAUSE THEY SEE WHAT THEIR KIDS NEED NOW, BUT THEY MAY NOT KNOW WHAT KIDS NEED IN 10 YEARS, AND YOU'RE BUILDING FACILITIES TO HELP ENABLE THAT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES, IT CAME UP LAST NIGHT.
I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.
YOU KNOW, THIS COMMITTEE IS REALLY CHARGED PUTTING THE PACKAGE TOGETHER.
THERE WILL BE, ONCE THE BOND PASSES, THERE'S ANOTHER GROUP THAT WILL MAKE THOSE TYPES OF DECISIONS.
AND THEY WILL STUDY RESEARCH AND ALL TYPES OF SPECIFICATIONS AND DESIGNS AND THINKING ABOUT FUTURE LEARNING AND SPACES AND
[03:10:01]
BUILDINGS AND HOW THAT WILL FIT INTO THE DESIGN HERE IN EAMES AND WHAT THIS COMMUNITY STRIVES FOR.SO THAT'S REALLY NOT THE PURVIEW OF THE BOND COMMITTEE.
LET ME JUMP IN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
SO THERE WAS THE LONG-RANGE FACILITY PLANNING COMMITTEE WHO HAD A CHARGE AND A SET OF GOALS.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ADMINISTRATION WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING A NEW SET OF EDUCATIONAL SPECIFICATIONS, HELP FORM AND GUIDE DECISIONS OF THE LONG RANGE.
LOOKING AT CHANGE THROUGH SAFETY AND SECURITY STANDARDS, SAFETY AND SECURITY, THE SAME THING WOULD BE TRUE FOR OPERATIONAL COST OF FACILITIES BY UPDATING AND IMPROVING.
NOTHING IS NEWER THAN REALLY TO MAYBE A LITTLE PIECE OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THEN THERE'S THE TEA WHO HAS NEW MANDATES.
AND SO SCIENCE LABS ARE AN EXAMPLE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THERE'S NOT A SINGLE SCIENCE LAB AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT REALLY MEETS THE STANDARD THAT'S BASED ON TODAY.
SO PART OF OUR ROLE IS HAVING TO EDUCATE THIS COMMITTEE BY SHOWING THEM SOME OF THE DATA AND SOME OF THE INFORMATION AND THEN ALLOWING THEM TO MAKE THE CHOICES.
THERE'S ALSO THE THINGS ABOUT STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING TODAY WERE IN THE 90S, YOU KNOW, WE PUT THE KIDS IN A ROOM AND THE TEACHER TAUGHT THEM.
NOWADAYS, THERE'S A LOT OF INSTRUCTION THAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM AND PROVIDING THE NECESSARY SUPPORT SPACES TO ALLOW THOSE KINDS OF THINGS TO HAPPEN.
MANY OF OUR CAMPUSES ARE NOT CONFIGURED LIKE THAT.
SO, AGAIN, IT WAS THAT WHAT WE'LL TRY TO DO IS CARRY THE INFORMATION THAT THE LERVPAC AND THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE LERVPAC BROUGHT TO THE BOARD AS KIND OF A STARTING POINT.
BUT NOW THIS COMMITTEE HAS TO START TO NARROW THAT LIST DOWN AND SAY, WELL, WE REALLY NEED TO PRIORITIZE THESE THINGS.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT THESE OPTIONS.
AND OUR ROLE AS THE ARCHITECT IS TO PROVIDE THEM THE DATA AND THE INFORMATION TO GUIDE THAT PROCESS AND ALLOW THEM TO MAKE THE DECISION.
I REALLY DON'T THINK OUR PROCESS IS DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY'VE GONE THROUGH BEFORE.
BEFORE, THE DISTRICT WAS BRINGING THEM INFORMATION, AND THEY HAD A MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS WORKSHEET, AND THEY...
THEY HAD TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT THEY COULD FUND.
WE'RE KIND OF DOING THE SAME THING WITH US BRINGING THE DATA AND THE INFORMATION TO THEM AND LIZZIE HELPING GUIDE THE PROCESS FOR THEM TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
BUT HOPEFULLY, I'M SORRY I'M LONG-WINDED, BUT HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
AND THEN I ASSUME WITH THAT, BECAUSE YOU DO WORK ALL ACROSS THE STATE, YOU'RE ABLE TO BRING SOME NEW INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM OTHER DISTRICTS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS IN THE LAST FIVE, TEN YEARS AND BRING SOME THINGS THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH THEM TO THINK THROUGH THAT PERHAPS THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE SURFACED ON THEIR OWN.
WELL, AND I'VE ALREADY BEEN BRINGING SOME OF THOSE.
SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AROUND US AND WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL RISK OF THAT, YOU KNOW, I HEARD THE NEMESIS.
LAKE TRAVIS AND CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE HAVE DESIGNED AND HAVE UNDER CONSTRUCTION HIGH SCHOOL YEAH AND SO LIKE I CAN HAVE I HAVE FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE OF THE DECISIONS AND THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE MAKING IN REGARDS TO THEIR FACILITIES ETE AND OUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS AS WELL LIZZIE GUIDED THEM ON THEIR BOND PLANNING PROCESS SO UM BUT ONE IS FAMILIARIZING THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT ALSO THIS COMMITTEE, WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE MARKETPLACE, BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALSO THINGS THAT ARE PULLING AT YOUR TEACHERS.
WHEN WE HAVE A SCIENCE LAB THAT'S 1,400 SQUARE FEET, AND LAKE TRAVIS IS BUILDING 2,100 SQUARE FEET SCIENCE LABS, STATE-OF-THE-ART, AND THE PAY IS THE SAME OR SLIGHTLY
[03:15:01]
DIFFERENT, YOU MIGHT...THEY MIGHT MAKE A DIFFERENT CHOICE.
SO IT'S OUR ROLE TO HELP BRING SOME OF THAT THOUGHT AND IDEA TO THEM, BUT THE DECISIONS ARE MADE BY THEM.
I GUESS YOU'VE PARTIALLY ANSWERED THIS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING IN PARALLEL TO THIS IS THIS STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.
I'VE BEEN INFORMED OF THAT, YES.
AND SO, WELL, SINCE YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN INFORMED, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DISCUSSED IS...
IS HOW THE STRATEGIC PLANNING CAN HELP INFORM THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT? WE TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST NIGHT, IN FACT, WITH THE BOC.
I'M JUST MAKING SURE I GET THIS RIGHT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF ACRONYMS HERE IN EAST AMERICA.
DIANE'S CORRECTED ME MAYBE 20 TIMES.
SO WE DID BRING THAT UP THAT THERE COULD, SEEMS LIKE THERE SHOULD BE AN INTERSECTION AT SOME POINT WITH WHAT THEY HAVE TALKED ABOUT AND COME UP WITH.
AND THEN THIS WILL BE RIGHT AROUND MEETING FOUR WITH THE BOND COMMITTEE.
AND SO IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO, YOU KNOW, EXCHANGE SOME OF THOSE IDEAS AND BRING THEM UP TO SPEED OF WHAT THAT COMMITTEE IS DOING AS FAR AS THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THEN HOW DO YOU LIKE TO KEEP THE, AND I GUESS THIS IS SOMEWHAT PIGGYBACKING OFF JAMES' COMMENT OF WHERE THE BOARD MIGHT TWEAK.
I'M THINKING THROUGH TO HELP MINIMIZE TWEAKING YOU YOU WANT TO STAY INFORMED THROUGHOUT IT SO HOW DO YOU KEEP THE BOARD INFORMED DURING THE COURSE OF THE FALL HOW DO YOU USUALLY SEE THAT WORK BEST IN OTHER DISTRICTS MR. EHLER AND I ARE AVAILABLE TO BE HERE ANYTIME WHEN THE BOARD NEEDS UPDATING OR THAT CAN BE DONE THROUGH SUPERINTENDENT KANEKI OR DR.
SAYLORS AND YOU KNOW UPDATING YOU ON THE MEETING AGENDAS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING.
I DO BELIEVE YOU WILL BE GETTING UPDATES FROM HIM ABOUT THE PROJECT PRIORITIES AND SEEING ALL OF THOSE BEFORE THE COMMITTEE SEES THEM BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE BOARD IS UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS GOING TO BE PRESENTED TO THAT GROUP.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY GOOD ABOUT DR.
JOHNSON'S PROCESS IS THE FACT THAT WE WILL HAVE A MEETING THE FOLLOWING MORNING AFTER EVERY COMMITTEE MEETING FOR US TO DOWNLOAD.
WE NEED TO DO TO SUPPORT THEIR REQUEST AT THAT MEETING THAT THAT WILL BE WITH DISTRICT LEADERSHIP AND MR. KONECKI AND SO THERE HE'S FEEDING THE INFORMATION UP TO YOU OR HE SAYS HEY IT'D BE GREAT FOR Y'ALL TO COME TO THIS BOARD MEETING AND GIVE AN UPDATE AS DR.
JOHNSON MENTIONED WE'D BE I THINK THERE WILL BE A TON OF COMMUNICATION THAT'S HAPPENING A AT THE MEETING BUT THEN POST MEETING AS WE STEPS WE NEED TO TAKE TO GET THEM THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED.
AND I THINK MY LAST COMMENT IS JUST REALLY A NODDING ALONG THIS PIECE.
ENCOURAGING THEM TO DREAM BIG.
YOU ARE ENCOURAGING THEM TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND NOT BE CONSTRAINED BY CAPACITY.
BUT THEN WHAT WAS IT, MEETING FIVE? FIVE.
AND SO THEN, BECAUSE, HEY, WE CAN'T AFFORD EVERYTHING.
AND SO THEN, BUT IT'S NICE TO DREAM BIG FIRST.
AND THEN BRING IN THE REALITY.
THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO ME.
SO I ENJOYED SEEING HOW YOU DOVETAIL THOSE TWO TOGETHER.
YEAH, THE ONE THING TO TO REMEMBER IS THIS NEW SCHOOL WAS REALLY PROBABLY AROUND.
THAT WE'RE MAKING BIG BECAUSE SO WELL TO BE DREAMING AS BIG AS THEY CAN AND AND THEN WE CAN HELP THAT'S NOT REALISTIC I'VE HAD THAT HAPPEN MANY A TIME OR EVEN WHERE I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAY WELL, XYZ SCHOOL DISTRICT TRIED THAT AND WE WANT THEM TO THINK AS BIG AS THEY CAN AND THEN, YOU KNOW.
I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE YOU GOT TO DREAM, YOU GOT TO THINK LONG RANGE, SO YOU KEEP IT TO AN AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE A BUDGET, IT'S GOT TO PASS BEFORE THE VOTERS, SO YOU GOT TO THREAD THE NEEDLE
[03:20:01]
BETWEEN IT ALL.RIGHT, WE TALK ABOUT THAT IN THAT ROOM.
THEY KNOW THEIR PEOPLE, THEY KNOW THEIR COMMUNITY, AND THEY KNOW WHAT WOULD BE ACCEPTED AND WOULDN'T, AND THEY THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN THEY PUT THIS PACKAGE TOGETHER.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS OTHER THAN JUST THE NEEDS.
THERE'S A LOT OF OUTSIDE INFLUENCES THAT THEY THINK OF AND THAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THAT ROOM.
I WAS ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO WAS AN EX OFFICIO MEMBER OF THE LRF PAC.
I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG TIME, AND I'M EXCITED TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR COMING EARLIER IN THIS PROCESS TO HELP US ALL UNDERSTAND.
HOW YOU'VE BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL, BECAUSE I THINK THAT, WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN SAYING A COUPLE OF TIMES AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS IS I WANT THE MEETINGS TO BE EFFICIENT AND RESPECTFUL OF PEOPLE'S TIME.
YOU CLEARLY HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS SO MANY TIMES THAT YOU'VE GOT THIS DOWN.
YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, THOUGH.
I MENTIONED THAT WE'VE HAD EX OFFICIO MEMBERS ON THE LRF PAC.
DOING THE SAME THING FOR THIS.
NOT THAT WE WOULD BE IN THE CONVERSATION, BUT JUST KIND OF OBSERVING.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW DOES THE BOARD STAY INFORMED ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
PERHAPS WE CAN CONSIDER THAT AS AN OPTION FOR HOW OUR BOARD STAYS CONNECTED TO THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON IN THIS PROCESS HERE WITH THE BACK.
I'D BE INTERESTED IN HEARING IF YOU THINK IT WOULD SOMEHOW INHIBIT THE PROCESS.
THAT CERTAINLY ISN'T SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO.
SO I JUST OFFER THAT UP AS WE DON'T HAVE TO EVEN DECIDE IT OR DISCUSS IT TONIGHT, BUT I WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.
AND THEN, YEAH, THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS THAT'S GOING ALONGSIDE OF IT.
I WAS RECORDING DOWN THE DATES THAT ARE ALREADY PUT ON THE CALENDAR FOR THIS.
IT LOOKS LIKE I WAS HAPPY TO HEAR THE STRATEGIC PLANNING INTERSECTION IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN MEETING FOUR, AND THEN MEETING FIVE IS NOVEMBER 4TH.
SO EVERYTHING SEEMS TO, ON PAPER, FLOW, I KNOW.
IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG LIFT, BUT I'M CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.
I ALWAYS SAY YOU HAVE TO TRUST THE PROCESS.
AND IT'S VERY, IT CAUSES ANGST WHEN A DISTRICT'S NEVER BEEN THROUGH IT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU I HAVE REPEAT CLIENTS WHO WOULD NOT DO A BOND WITHOUT ME.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S VERY TELLING, TOO.
THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT A HEAVY LIFT IT IS, AND I TAKE A LOT OF THAT OFF OF THEM.
I'VE SAT IN SOME OF OUR BACK MEETINGS BEFORE.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO OBSERVE IF YOU THINK IT WOULDN'T BE INHIBITORY.
KATE, THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
I THINK I HAVE SOME CONCERNS JUST ABOUT I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS, PROBABLY TOO MANY FOR TONIGHT TO GET INTO.
BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WOULD SEND THE COMMITTEE IN WITH THE RIGHT CHARGE, WITH THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND SO I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE TIMING AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE AND HOW IT ALIGNS WITH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE AND I THINK THERE'S SOME BIGGER ISSUES THAT WE AS A DISTRICT NEED TO CONSIDER AS WE'RE PROVIDING THE COMMITTEE WITH WITH THE CHARGE INCLUDING HOW ARE WE DEALING WITH TRANSFERS.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR OUR DISTRICT I'VE HEARD THAT A LOT RECENTLY FROM THE COMMUNITY AS AN AREA OF CONCERN AND I THINK THAT THAT IS IMPORTANT TO INFORM THE DIRECTION WE GO WITH THE FACILITIES RIGHT IT ALL RELATES BACK INTO THE INFORMATION WE FIND OUT FROM THE DEMOGRAPHER TRANSFERS CAN IMPACT THE STUDENT NUMBERS THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER AND SO MY CONCERN IS THAT THE INITIAL INSTRUCTION THAT THE BOARD IS PROVIDING TO THIS COMMITTEE IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT WILL SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS.
AND SO HOW DO WE GET THERE WITH THE RIGHT? I THINK IT HAS TO BE MORE SPECIFIC THAN WHAT WAS PRESENTED ON THE SLIDE AND SO I WANTED TO FIND OUT IF YOU HAD MORE THOUGHTS ON THAT AND YOU HAD ALSO MENTIONED SOMETHING OPTIONS AND WHO'S DECIDING THESE PIECE WHO'S REALLY DRIVING SIRS BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE WHEN THE BASED ON WHAT COMES OUT OF TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS A SICK CHARGE WITH THE BOARD AND THERE'S A WAY, THEY ALL FIND A WAY TO WORK ON IT TOGETHER BEFORE THE FIRST MEETING WITH THE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS
[03:25:02]
ON SEPTEMBER THE 2ND.AND SO YOU HAVE A PRETTY BIG RUNWAY HERE.
I CAN FACILITATE THAT THROUGH A SHARED DOCUMENT IF YOU WANT ME TO DO THAT, OR I CAN TALK TO...
SAYLORS AND WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT WE COULD ALL WORK ON IT TOGETHER WHERE ALL THE OPINIONS ARE HEARD AND AND WE FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S THE RIGHT CHARGE FOR YOU.
YES THAT IS A VERY BASIC CHARGE I JUST START BASIC SO YOU KIND OF SEE THE KEY POINTS IN THERE.
AS FAR AS THE TRANSFER QUESTION IT ALWAYS COMES UP IN MEETING TWO.
NEVER A COMMITTEE I'VE WORKED IN HAS THAT NOT EVER COME UP SO ONCE THE DEMOGRAPHER PRESENTS THERE'S THERE'S ULTIMATELY SOMEBODY IN THAT ROOM WHO ALWAYS ASKS.
ABOUT OUR TRANSFER POLICY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT OUR DEMOGRAPHICS.
I PROMISE YOU IT WILL COME UP.
AND THEN AS FAR AS THE MENU GOES, THE MENU IS THE PROJECT PRIORITY WORKSHEET, AND I'M GOING TO LET MR. EHLER SPEAK TO HOW THOSE PROJECTS COME ABOUT.
SO THE PROJECT PRIORITIES ARE BASED ON TYPICALLY LIKE A THREE-LEVEL SCALE OF AN IMMEDIATE NEED WHICH WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT IS MAYBE CODE RELATED OR LIFE SAFETY RELATED AND SO WE WOULD CERTAINLY COULD ASK THAT THE COMMITTEE PRIORITIZES THOSE NEEDS FIRST AND FOREMOST BECAUSE IT'S IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE OR OR A DANGER ISSUE AND THEN UM AND THEN PRIORITY TWO ARE THINGS THAT WOULD UM REALLY BE KIND OF UM NECESSARY FOR A NECESSARY ENHANCEMENT FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING OR INSTRUCTIONAL NEEDS THINGS THAT ARE DELINQUENT THAT HAVE BEEN DETERMINED AND THEN AS YOU GET TO TO THE LEVEL THREE IT WOULD BE THINGS THAT ARE MORE A WANT THAN A NEED I GUESS IS THE BEST WAY TO SAY IT SO SOMEBODY'S MAYBE THE PARKING GARAGE COULD BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD SAY WELL WE WANT IT, BUT DO WE REALLY NEED IT? AND THEN YOU'D START TO HAVE TO EVALUATE, WELL, WE REALLY, WELL, WE KIND OF DO BECAUSE WE CAN ONLY PARK X NUMBER OF CARS ON THE CAMPUS.
AND SO THAT BECOMES KIND OF SOMETHING THAT BECOMES MORE DEBATABLE.
I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DOCUMENT THAT THE LRVPAC PRODUCED AND PRESENTED, THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD GUIDANCE IN THE FRONT THAT WERE GOALS THAT WERE ESTABLISHED AS KIND OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THEIR WORK THAT I THINK COULD HELP START TO FORM THIS GROUP.
AND SO THERE MIGHT BE A PLACE THAT YOU COULD LOOK AT THAT FOR.
I THINK TO GO BACK TO THE TRANSFER COMMENT, I THINK NEEDING TO KNOW WHERE THE DISTRICT WANTS TO SIT ON THAT BY THE SECOND MEETING OF THE BACK IS AN INTERESTING CHALLENGE, I THINK, AS FAR AS TIMING.
NOT TO STEAL TOM'S THUNDER, BUT OUR TEAM IS ALREADY WORKING INTERNALLY ON A FRAMEWORK FOR A CHARGE DOCUMENT FOR YOU ALL TO REVIEW, WHICH WE'LL BE PROVIDING TO THE TRUSTEES.
AND WE ARE WORKING WITH A DEMOGRAPHER AND VENDOR PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION AS WE MOVE INTO AUGUST, SO THAT HOPEFULLY, TO KATE'S POINT, YOU'LL HAVE THAT DATA AHEAD OF THE BACK PROCESS TO BE THINKING ABOUT OUR TRANSFER STRATEGY CONVERSATION, WHICH SEVERAL OF THE TRUSTEES HAVE TALKED ABOUT.
WANTING TO REVIEW AND THAT WE ASSUME WILL BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO ALL CONSIDER.
KATE, ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT.
JOHNSON, I LOVE HOW YOU PRESENTED YOUR PRESENTATION JUST SO FLUIDLY.
IT HAD SUCH A GREAT FLOW, AND I LOVE HOW YOUR BACKGROUND HAS COALESCED INTO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING HAPPENED FOR A REASON, AND IT'S VERY COOL.
SO CLEARLY, YOU ARE EXTREMELY QUALIFIED TO BE IN THE SEAT THAT YOU'RE IN.
AND AS SOMEBODY WHO IS NEW TO A BACH AND BACH.
THIS IS JUST, IT'S VERY COOL TO HAVE A FRONT ROW SEAT TO THIS AND ALL THE OTHER ACRONYMS. I HAVE MULTIPLE QUESTIONS.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO BE SUCCINCT.
I CAN'T STACK THEM IN THE RIGHT SEQUENCE, SO FORGIVE ME IF THEY SEEM OUT OF ORDER.
YOU MENTIONED THAT CAPACITY COMES UP IN MEETING, I THINK IT WAS FIVE, RIGHT? HOWEVER, HAVING JUST CAMPAIGNED FOR THE SEAT THAT I'M NOW SITTING IN, SITTING IN THE NUMBER THE CAPACITY
[03:30:02]
SEEMS TO BE THERE IS A NUMBER OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY IN FACT IT WAS IN THE CURRENT ISSUE OF COMMUNITY IMPACT WHICH I GOT YESTERDAY OH YOU SAW IT TOO OKAY SO THAT I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO SAY THE NUMBER BECAUSE YOU SAW IT TOO BUT IT'S A BIG NUMBER UM I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT IS THE OPERATING ASSUMPTION THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THIS COMMITTEE ARE ARE WORKING WITH OR ARE YOU TRULY TELLING THEM I'M TRULY I DON'T WANT TO SEE WHAT COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORTED IN OUR JUNE ISSUE.I'M GLAD WE GOT THAT OUT OF THE WAY.
THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT ON PUBLIC RECORD.
WELL, ALSO FOR PUBLIC RECORD IS PART OF THE CAMPAIGN PLATFORM THAT I RAN ON WAS VERY FOCUSED ON TRANSPARENCY.
AND SO I KNOW THAT THE CONSTITUENTS THAT VOTED FOR ME SPECIFICALLY, BUT I IMAGINE OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL, WOULD BE CURIOUS TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DYNAMIC THAT YOUR COMPANY WAS ACQUIRED BY VLK.
AND VLK HAS DONE WORK ALL I WAS ON THE TOUR WITH YOU.
I'VE SEEN THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH.
HOW DO YOU, IS THERE A WAY TO MITIGATE AROUND THE FACT THAT IT COULD FEEL LIKE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST THAT YOU ARE LEADING THIS ADVISORY GROUP AND YOU'RE DEBRIEFING IN THE MORNING AFTER EVERY MONTHLY MEETING WITH SOMEONE WHO IS IN A PRIME POSITION TO BE HANDLING THE CONSTRUCTION FOR THIS PROJECT WHEN WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY PUT OUT MAYBE AN RFP FOR OTHER VENDORS? VERY AND SAYING NO THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER PROCESS THAT HAPPENS WITH YOU KNOW LEGAL FRAMEWORK LET ME BE REAL CLEAR WITH YOU I DON'T HAVE A STAKE IN WHAT'S IN THAT BOND IT DOES NOT MATTER TO ME I DON'T IT REALLY DOESN'T I AM MORE CONCERNED WITH THE FACT THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS A TRANSPARENT PROCESS AND THEY FEEL GOOD AT THE VERY END THAT THEY HEARD EVERY BIT OF INFORMATION AND THEY COULD MAKE THE BEST DECISION FOR THEIR STUDENTS I DON'T WALK AROUND THAT ROOM AND TRY TO PLANT IDEAS IN THEIR HEADS IT IS NOT THAT IS NO BENEFIT TO ME AT ALL NOW WHEN WHEN YOU SAY THE MEETING AFTER THE MEETING THE DEBRIEF YES OF COURSE THE THE VLK TEAM WILL BE A PART OF THAT, BUT SO WILL ALL OF LEADERSHIP.
ALL OF THE TABLE FACILITATORS AND COMMUNICATIONS, WE'RE JUST THERE TO LISTEN TO WHAT HAPPENED AT THOSE TABLES TO MAKE SURE WE CAN MITIGATE ANY NEGATIVITY THAT MIGHT BE ARISING.
AND I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, JUST REALLY QUICK.
I WORKED IN A DISTRICT IN NORTH TEXAS ONE YEAR, AND WE WERE DOING A BOND COMMITTEE THERE.
AND WE GOT TO THE DEBRIEF THE NEXT MORNING, AND THERE WERE 11 TABLES, BY THE WAY.
11 FACILITATORS AT THOSE TABLES SAID, LIZZIE.
THEY ALL TALKED ABOUT THAT NEW ELEMENTARY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT'S IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEY'RE ALL MAD ABOUT TRAFFIC IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
BECAUSE THERE WAS SOMEBODY AT THOSE TABLES THAT LIVED NEAR WHERE THAT PROPOSED ELEMENTARY WAS PROBABLY GOING TO GO.
YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T SAY IT, THEY KNEW IT.
SO THE WHOLE NIGHT WAS ABOUT TRAFFIC AND GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE ELEMENTARY, ALL OF THIS STUFF.
SO THERE WAS ALREADY PEOPLE IN THE ROOM MAD ABOUT THAT NEW ELEMENTARY, EVEN THOUGH THE DISTRICT NEEDED IT WAY MORE.
THE CITY TO COME IN AT THE NEXT MEETING, WE HAD MAPS AROUND THE ROOM, WE HAD THE ARCHITECTS HAD ALREADY DECIDED ENTRY AND EXIT FLOW OF TRAFFIC IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE PRESENTED ALL OF THIS THE FIRST 15 MINUTES OF THAT MEETING WHICH WAS NOT ON ANY OF THOSE AGENDAS BUT IT SERVED THE NEEDS OF THE COMMITTEE AND WE PUT IT TO BED AND NOBODY EVER TALKED ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC AGAIN.
WE DON'T DO DEBRIEFS TO TALK ABOUT PROJECTS OR YOU KNOW WHAT PROJECTS WE'RE GIVING THEM TO CHOOSE FROM THAT'S ALREADY WILL ALL BE THOSE DECISIONS WILL ALREADY BE MADE THOSE DEBRIEFS ARE SO I CAN HEAR WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THOSE TABLES TO MAKE SURE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMITTEE ARE MET OKAY THANK YOU FOR THAT MA'AM SORT OF RELATED UM YOU SAID 95% OF YOUR BONDS HAVE PASSED AND TO THE 95% DON'T THE BOARDS CHANGE THE BOND.
BUT YOU PERSONALLY HAVE HELPED WITH, WHAT WAS IT, $14 BILLION?
[03:35:01]
$16 BILLION.SO I SEE HOW, I MEAN, THOSE ARE HUGE STATISTICS, AND I CAN SEE HOW THAT IS REALLY EXCITING FOR YOU PERSONALLY AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
I GUESS WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS IS, HOW WILL YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS FOR OUR COMMUNITY? BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU COMING AT A GROUP WITH SAYING, HEY GUYS, WE DID IT, THREE, NO, NINE DIGITS OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I DON'T, I JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE STICKERS.
I GUESS THAT IS, I UNDERSTAND HOW THAT STATISTIC IS GOOD FOR YOU PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY, $16 BILLION.
BUT FOR EEN SPECIFICALLY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WOULD BE A GOOD BENCHMARK FOR SUCCESS? IS IT, IS IT A, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND YOUR PROCESS.
IT IS AT THE END OF THE PROCESS, WHEN THAT FINAL VOTE HAPPENS, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE, YOU KNOW, 100%.
SO IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT PASSES, THE MAJORITY OF THE ROOM BELIEVED IN IT.
CONSENSUS IN THESE VOTES BECAUSE THAT MEANS PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT INFORMATION.
AND THEY ARE A MICROCOSM OF THIS COMMUNITY AT LARGE WHICH IS WHY WE'RE LIKELY TO HAVE A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF PASS OR SUCCESS RATE.
LIKE I'M BUILDING THE FOUNDATION THERE THEY WILL GO OUT IN UNITY.
CAN I JUST REITERATE, I THINK THOSE WERE GREAT QUESTIONS, JENNIFER, AND I WANT TO REITERATE AGAIN FOR ANYONE WHO'S LISTENING OR NEW TO THIS AND MAYBE COMING IN AFTER THIS PRESENTATION THAT WE JUST HEARD THAT WAS SO THOUGHTFUL.
I SAID THIS IN APRIL'S MEETING.
THERE IS NO BUDGET FOR A BOND.
THERE IS NO FACTUAL INFORMATION SHARED BY THE DISTRICT ABOUT THAT DATA TO ANYBODY WHO'S PRODUCING AN ARTICLE AT THIS TIME.
SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE REITERATE THAT FOR THE THIRD MONTH IN A ROW.
NO BOND HAS BEEN DEFINED, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT THE PROCESS NOW.
AND I THINK MOST OF OUR LRF PAC AND BAC AND PROSPECTIVE BAC MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THIS.
AND IT IS A MICROCOSM OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
SO I REALLY LOVED THAT QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT THE METHODS YOU USE FOR THEM TO HELP OTHERS TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT WE ALL PAY ATTENTION TO AND TALK ABOUT IN MEETINGS.
I WANT PEOPLE TO PEOPLE TO HEAR THE SUPERINTENDENT SAY THIS, SO IT'S NOT COMING FROM TRUSTEES.
THERE IS NO AMOUNT AND NOTHING'S BEEN DECIDED.
AND THAT HAS BEEN REPEATED PUBLICLY BY ME FOR THREE MONTHS IN A ROW NOW.
SECOND, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW LAWS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS.
AND THOSE LAWS ARE VERY SIGNIFICANT ABOUT HOW WE PRODUCE PARTNERS AND HOW WE AGREE TO PARTNERSHIPS AND WHO WE VET TO WORK WITH AS PARTNERS.
AND SO I THINK THE QUESTION WAS GREAT.
AND IF THE SCHOOL BOARD CHOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A BOND OR TO CALL A BOND IN THE FUTURE, THEN THERE IS A PROCESS WE MUST GO THROUGH LEGALLY IN ORDER TO VET PROSPECTIVE PARTNERS AND VENDORS WHO MAY WORK ON ANY BOND PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE.
AND WE WOULD ALWAYS, AT EANS, FOLLOW THOSE LAWS TO THE T.
KATE, DID I SEE YOUR HAND GO UP? YEAH, I JUST HAD A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION.
QUESTION ON THE EXAMPLE YOU GAVE WITH THE ELEMENTS I'M NOT QUITE UNDERSTANDING THE THE AGAIN THE SEQUENCE OF DEVELOPMENT I GUESS OF THE DESIGN HOW DID THEY BUILD ELEMENTARIES IN THE DISTRICT BEFORE SO THEY WERE USING A PROTOTYPE SO THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF DISTRICTS DO.
SO IT WASN'T THAT THEY HAD ALREADY PLANNED OUT WHAT THE ELEMENTARY WOULD LOOK LIKE HERE.
IT WAS CORRECT THAT THEY OKAY THEY HAD A PLAN THAT THEY HAD BUILT TWO OTHER ELEMENTARIES WITH AND THEY WERE STICKING WITH THAT PLAN SO WHAT THEY DID THEY CONFIGURED IT ON THE LAND WITH THIS 3D THING THEY THEY USED AND IT COULD SHOW THE TRAFFIC FLOW BECAUSE THAT WOULD PRIMARILY BE THE BUILDING DESIGN THEY WOULD STICK WITH.
ALL RIGHT, I THINK EVERYONE'S HAD A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
I KNOW IT'S LATE, BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW, HOW DO THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM RESPOND TO THE STUDENTS WHO ARE THERE? THEY LOVE IT.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE SOME NIGHTS THE KIDS BECOME THE STAR OF THE SHOW, YOU KNOW?
[03:40:02]
AND YOU LOVE THAT, AND BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN IN THESE BUILDINGS, THEY SPENT SO MUCH OF THEIR LIVES IN THESE BUILDINGS.AND THEY KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT THEM AND THEY CAN TALK ABOUT TRAFFIC FLOW AND THEY CAN TALK ABOUT DROP-OFF AND PICK UP AND WHERE THEY HAD GYM AND WHERE THIS, IT JUST LENDS SO MUCH CREDIBILITY TO THE PROCESS.
AND I APPRECIATE THE STUDENTS THERE BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS REMIND US OF WHY WE'RE IN THAT ROOM.
WE ARE IN THAT ROOM TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT STUDENTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE GET OFF CENTER OF THAT.
AND WE START MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT'S BEST FOR ADULTS BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY EASIER.
BUT I REMIND THIS COMMITTEE EVERY TIME I GET IN FRONT OF THEM THAT THE DECISIONS WE MAKE IN THAT ROOM, AS LONG AS LIZZIE JOHNSON'S IN IT, IS ABOUT STUDENTS.
AND I'M A HUGE ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC ED.
THE REASON I SIT BEFORE YOU TODAY IS BECAUSE OF PUBLIC ED.
AND THE BULK OF MY CAREER HAS BEEN IN PUBLIC ED.
AND SO WE STAY CENTERED ON THAT IDEA.
SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS, QUESTION, AS TRUSTEES WORKING WITH ADMIN, WE HAVEN'T FORMED A STRATEGY ON THIS, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS DO WHEN THEY ARE FORMING THAT CHARTER AND THERE'S AN UPFRONT ASK THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T COME OUT UNTIL NUMBER FIVE, BUT DO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS SET A TARGET OR ARE THEY GIVING THE BACK A RANGE OR ARE THEY...
SAYING THAT MAYBE THEY NEED SCENARIO A, B, AND C, WHAT DO OTHER SUCCESSFUL DISTRICTS DO WITH REGARDS TO SETTING THE STAGE FOR NUMBER FIVE? THE PARAMETERS, YOU MIGHT SAY.
SO A LOT OF TIMES WHAT I SEE HAPPEN IS YOUR CFO AND YOUR SUPERINTENDENT WILL OBVIOUSLY BE GETTING THAT INFORMATION PRIOR TO THAT MEETING FIVE, AND THAT INFORMATION IS SHARED WITH THE BOARD, AND THEN IT IS DISCUSSED.
LIKE, DO WE WANT TO GIVE THEM A RANGE, OR DO WE WANT TO SAY, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WHAT THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR WILL DO IS THEY'LL SAY THIS IS A MINIMUM, A NO TAX RATE INCREASE, A MINIMUM TAX RATE INCREASE, OR A LARGER.
THEY SHOW A VARIANCE OF WHAT THAT MEANS TO AN AVERAGE HOMEOWNER IN YOUR AREA AND WHAT IT MEANS FISCALLY, AND THEN HOW MUCH CAPACITY YOU PULL FROM THAT.
SO THAT WILL ALL BE EXPLAINED TO THEM.
SO, YES, THAT IS A CONVERSATION THAT CAN BE HAD AMONGST THE BOARD AND WITH LEADERSHIP.
ANY OTHER CONVERSATIONS? THANK YOU FOR STICKING
[11.4 Request to approve Bond Advisory Committee (BAC) members]
WITH US TONIGHT.AND WE ARE GOING TO MOVE TO OUR LAST ACTION ITEM OF THIS REGULAR SESSION UNTIL WE CONVENE BACK AND CLOSE.
WE HAVE ITEM 11.4, WHICH IS THE REQUEST TO APPROVE THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
BACK MEMBERS AND THANK YOU MEMBERS YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT THE BOARD REQUESTED THAT WE PUT A PROCESS IN PLACE AND AFTER OUR DIALOGUES IN APRIL AND MAY THE TEAM DID SO WE HAD FOLLOWED A APPLICATION PROCESS FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO WERE INTERESTED IN BECOMING MEMBERS OF THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE WE HAD SEVERAL RECOMMEND RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT POSSIBLE OR PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS.
WE ALSO HAD MEMBERS REACH OUT AS A PART OF OUR OUTREACH.
WE USE A FORM ON OUR ON OUR WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION.
WE HAD DONE THIS WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE FOLLOWED A SIMILAR PROCESS WITH THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
WE HAD A NUMBER OF PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS WHO ASKED FOR INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS.
THOSE MEMBERS WERE THEN LATER GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO FILL OUT A FORM MANY, IF NOT ALL, OF THE MEMBERS THAT WE HAD ON A PROSPECTIVE LIST OF NOMINEES HAD FILLED OUT THE APPLICATION FORM.
WE COLLECTED THAT AT THE REQUEST OF TRUSTEES AND PROVIDED THAT RESOURCE.
WE BELIEVE WE HAVE A BROAD AND DIVERSE COHORT OF SCHOOL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES A LIST OF EIGHT STUDENTS TO CONSIDER.
FOR THE FORMATION OF A BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE, I AM RECOMMENDING AT THIS TIME THAT THE TRUSTEES CONSIDER THE REQUEST TO FORM A BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND APPROVE THAT.
AND ASK FOR A SECOND OR WE CAN DISCUSS.
THE MOTION WOULD BE, I THINK IT'S IN OUR PACKETS.
[03:45:02]
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS AS PRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION.DO WE HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT, JOHN SECONDS.
ALL RIGHT, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, KATE, GO AHEAD.
SO JUST TO CONFIRM, IT'S 28 ADULT MEMBERS, DOES THAT SEEM ABOUT RIGHT, PLUS SOME MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL STUDENTS? CORRECT.
ASSUMING THERE WOULD BE AN APPROVAL TONIGHT, WE WOULD CONFIRM, OBVIOUSLY, THAT THAT ROSTER AND ALL THOSE INVITED MEMBERS WOULD ULTIMATELY SHOW UP AND PARTICIPATE, WITH THE NOTION THAT SOMETIMES WE DON'T GET 100% OF THAT.
BUT IN THIS CASE, IRONICALLY, MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED THE HONOR OR INTEREST TO BE INVOLVED, SO EXPECT THAT NUMBER TO BE VERY ACCURATE TO WHAT YOU JUST SAID, KATE.
KATE, I HAVE A... LIST. MAYBE I'M NOT WORKING FROM THE MOST RECENT ONE OF 31. IT'S NOT NUMBERED. I COUNTED QUICKLY, BUT I'M TRYING TO GET A RANGE. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LONG LIST. I THINK IT'S GOOD TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A REPRESENTATION FROM ACROSS THE COMMUNITY. SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT THAT'S WHAT THIS LIST INCLUDES. BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A CONCERN IS JUST THE SIZE OF IT.
BUT BASED ON THE PRESENTATION WE JUST RECEIVED AND HOW THE TABLE SYSTEM WORKS AND THEY'RE THEY MANAGE SORT OF THROUGH THAT, I THINK THAT THAT COULD WORK.
ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, THEN WE'LL CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE LIST FOR THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE ARE THERE ANY NAYS ALL RIGHT THE MOTION CARRIES 7-0 THANK YOU ALL AND AGAIN TRUSTEES WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUST IN THIS PROCESS AND APPRECIATE LIZZIE AND HER TEAM BEING HERE AGAIN THIS EVENING UH WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING THE MEMBERS NOW OF THE BOND ADVISORY COMMITTEE YOU CAN SEE IN FRONT OF YOU THE ROSTER WE WILL REACH OUT TO ALL OF THESE INVITED COMMITTEE MEMBERS WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE SOME OF OUR STAFF. WHO WILL BE OBSERVERS OF THE PROCESS AND HELPING FACILITATE OUTSIDE THE MEETINGS AND AS WELL AS OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE GOING TO BE INVOLVED SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT AND THANK YOU FOR THE PEOPLE WHO YOU NOT ONLY SUGGESTED BUT THAT YOU ASKED US TO MAKE CONTACT WITH AND FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO REACHED TO US AND EXPRESSED INTEREST. I THINK WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS A LARGE GROUP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE COULD BE VERY IMPRESSED WITH AND PROUD OF AND THEY'RE TAKING ON A LARGE AND HISTORIC TASK, AND THEY HAVE SHOWN INTEREST
[12.
ACTION - CONSENT AGENDA
]IN DOING THAT TO SERVE THE BOARD. AND SO WE REALLY, TRULY APPRECIATE THEIR PARTICIPATION. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA, BUT I THINK WE HAVE AN AMENDMENT HERE. I THINK WE'D LIKE TO AMEND THAT UNDER THIS CURRENT CONSENT AGENDA, WE WILL BE DEALING WITH ITEMS 12.5 AND 12.6 AFTER A CLOSED SESSION. SESSION UM AND AT THAT SO ALL RIGHT DO WE HAVE A MOTION FOR THE AMENDED CONSENT AGENDA 12.5 AND 12.6 AND THEN THE FROM THE ORIGINAL AGENDA 6.1 ALL RIGHT WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THOSE CHANGES ALL RIGHT, JENNIFER MAKES THE MOTION. DO[13.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
]WE HAVE A SECOND? IT'S KATE.ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[14.
CLOSED SESSION
]AYE. ANY OPPOSED? NONE. THE MOTION CARRIES 7-0. ALL RIGHT.THANK YOU. OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 18TH, 2026. THE BOARD WILL CONVENE BACK INTO CLOSED SESSION TONIGHT TO FINISH SOME TOPICS WE DIDN'T GET TO EARLIER, AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK OUT.
AND WE HAVE A VOTE ON THESE MATTERS AND THEN WE'LL ADJOURN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT THE TIME IS NOW 11 28 AND WE ARE UH WE HAVE FINISHED WITH OUR CLOSED SESSION WE HAVE THREE ITEMS TO VOTE ON TONIGHT AND THEN WE WILL ADJOURN OUR REGULAR MEETING THE FIRST ITEM
[03:50:01]
FOR A VOTE IS ITEM 6.1 REQUEST TO APPROVE ADMINISTRATION PERSONNEL SERVICES CONTRACT DO I HAVE A MOTION MOTION BY JOHN I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE DR. P. POPPE'S PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS AS PRESENTED, PURSUANT TO HOUSE BILL 3372. SECONDED BY JAMES.ANY DISCUSSION? NO DISCUSSION.
[12.5 Consideration and possible approval of the Masters Services Agreement ...]
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE. ANY NAYS? ALL RIGHT. THE VOTE CARRIES 7-0. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE ITEM 12.5. CAN WE HAVE A MOTION? 12.5 IS THE CONTRACT.ALL RIGHT. I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AND APPROVE THE PROCEDURES FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF CIVIL VIOLATIONS ISSUED UNDER THE AUTOMATED SCHOOL BUS ARM STOP ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM PURSUANT TO FINALIZATION OF CONTRACT DETAILS. ALL RIGHT.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECONDED BY JENNIFER. ANY DISCUSSION?
[12.6 Consideration and possible adoption of the Resolution and Procedures f...]
ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.AYE. ANY NAYS? OKAY, THE VOTE CARRIES 7-0. LAST ITEM IS 12.6. SOMEONE CAN READ THE MOTION. 12.6 IS THE POLICY.
CAN WE ASK OUR OFFICER? SO WE ARE GOING TO TABLE THE MOTION ON THE MOTION IS TO TABLE ITEM 12.6, BUT WE DO HAVE TO VOTE ON TABLING. SO ON OR POSTPONING INDEFINITELY.
SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO POSTPONE 12.6 MOTION BY KATE? DO WE HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT. SECONDED BY JAMES. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. ANY NAYS? ALL RIGHT. THE MOTION TO TABLE INDEFINITELY CARRIES 7-0 ALL RIGHT AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR MEETING AGAIN WE DO HAVE OUR NEXT SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING AUGUST 18TH AND WE WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 11 31.
THANK YOU
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.